


My Kingdom for...

by Rabbitafy



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: F/F, M/M, Mentions of non-con, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-04-10
Packaged: 2017-12-03 07:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 50,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabbitafy/pseuds/Rabbitafy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The life of a royal isn't all that it's made out to be, especially when secrets begin to come out after the death of the King. Alternative universe story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My kingdom for... a friend

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set in an alternative universe. Gumball and Bubblegum are not candy people and Marceline and Marshall Lee are not vampires.
> 
> This is a Work in Progress. I usually don't post a story before I have all of the chapters written, but I need a little bit of inspiration for this one and I'm hoping posting it can inspire me.
> 
> If you have any questions regarding my choices, please feel free to ask them.

Princess Bonnibel had been given the nickname “Bubblegum” when she was just a child. Her mother had thought her adorable, with her stringy hair that was so strawberry blonde it was nearly pink, and had started calling her the name due to her bubbly personality.

It wasn’t long before the whole castle was referring to her as Princess Bubblegum in jest, although during serious moments they would of course call her by her real name. Still, the little girl enjoyed the nickname and it made her smile whenever one of her staff would call her such with a large smile on their faces.

The Princess was an adventurous type and loved to pull pranks on the people around her. She was never really one to stay inside and learn lessons about how to be proper, which drove her parents crazy, but she’d never really minded at the time.

She spent most of her time outside, exploring the garden and trying to learn anything and everything she could about all of the things in it. She had a thirst for knowledge that was insatiable.

She was only about five when she’d started mixing various plants and liquids, studying their reactions with one another.

But she wouldn’t dare tell her parents, who wanted nothing more than for their little girl to grow up and marry some prince so that their kingdom could become stronger. They didn’t care for a daughter who wanted to learn, no matter how much they loved her.

It was on the day of Bonnibel’s seventh birthday that she met the one person who would come to care most about her appetite for knowledge. And while she wished it could be because her nearly lifelong friend was a guest at the party, in actuality the truth was a bit more painful.

She’d been showered with gifts and had politely accepted each of them, even though they weren’t exactly her thing. Dresses made from fine silk and hats that probably weighed more than she did. Only one gift amongst them was worth her while and that had been given to her the night before – a set of tools used by magicians to create potions, though where the person giving it had found such a thing was beyond her ability to comprehend, as magicians were a rare bunch and many believed they did not even exist.

After the party was over her father, Leimon, pulled her aside before her nightly bath and informed her, “I have just one more gift for you, my darling.”

“What is it, father?” She inquired, excitement running through her. Certainly a gift he couldn’t give in front of anyone else had to be thrilling?

And it had been, though not in the way she’d been expecting.

The girl was only about two years her senior and had the palest skin that Bonnibel had ever seen, beneath layers of long black hair that twisted up properly into the buns that the maids usually wore. The Princess couldn’t remember seeing her around the castle before, but later she would come to learn that it was because she’d only just been ‘broken in’.

“She’ll be your own personal servant,” Leimon had informed, although what he should have said was _slave_. Because although the palace staff was treated well (for the most part), they were still kept ultimately against their will and were not allowed to leave. “She’ll be here to get you anything you need and do anything you want her to do.”

The pinkish haired child had been heartbroken. She’d wanted more gifts like her potions set… not a person forced to do her bidding. The castle staff, though friendly, was extremely boring and no doubt this girl would be the same.

Then he’d left and the girl had just stood there, looking politely at the floor, her form stiff with what appeared to be pain and her expression broken.

After a long silence had passed, Bonnibel had finally mumbled, “What’s your name?”

“Marceline,” The girl had replied automatically, her voice hoarse.

Hoarse from screaming, as the Princess would later find out.

* * *

As it turned out, however, Marceline was anything but boring.

After the first week or so the pale girl had become more relaxed around the little Princess, who she’d found was kind and gentle. In mere months they’d begun to consider each other friends and it wasn’t long at all before Bonnibel was inviting her servant out to play with her, instead of letting her watch from the sidelines.

Marceline liked music and the color red. She hated wearing her hair up in buns and preferred to let the long locks roam free, like the Princess herself. Often times during the night, after they’d retired for ‘bed’, the two girls would let down their hair and dance around, singing to themselves.

The dark-haired girl never spoke of her life before the palace and Bonnibel never thought to ask. She was young and didn’t think about things like the past, instead focusing on the present and living her life as it came. Even as they grew older, though, the Princess never brought it up, eventually deciding that if her best friend wanted to talk about such things, she would mention them herself.

Growing up was a pain, however. By the time she was fourteen she’d been pulled away from her potion sets (which she had become very clever with, able to create concoctions beyond her wildest imagination) to attend balls and go on dinner dates with different Princes. And as always, faithful Marceline was at her side, making silly faces behind the heads of others and making her strawberry blonde friend burst into giggles.

By the time she was fifteen, however, her parents had grown tired of her playfulness and sat her down to a serious talk about the kingdom and its needs. They spent hours explaining how she was needed to make an alliance with another land, so that they could prosper from trading routes and the boost in economy. The entire situation struck her deep and her care-free attitude gave way to a seriousness that swept away any sort of innocent youth she had left.

From there she began to become entranced in politics, trying to choose the best kingdom to marry into and discussing with her parents what route would be the best to take. And while Marceline was always there, standing in the background, they’d begun to grow apart and the dark-haired girl had once again become just a trusted servant, instead of a trusted friend.

And now, eighteen years old, Bonnibel found herself swept up into the political world of being a Princess, about to take flight into a new world.

She was to be married.

* * *

“Your Highness, it’s time to awaken.”

As always, Marceline was up early and had a warm cup of tea at the Princess’ bed side as she roused her from her sleep. And as always, Bonnibel gave an annoyed huff and rolled over, throwing a pillow over her head.

The maid let out an annoyed noise and reached down, grabbing a handful of the blankets that covered the strawberry blonde haired girl. With one loud yell of, ‘ _Wake up!’_ , she pulled the heavy comforter off and nearly pulled the other completely from the bed.

“Marceline!” Her master cried in alarm, sitting up and grabbing handfuls of her long hair to push out of her face. “That was rude!”

“Well then maybe you should get up when I’m all, ‘oh, it’s time to wake up, your Highness’,” The black haired young woman replied, lifting one fine eyebrow up above the other. “Now, do I have to pour this tea all over you, or are you gonna drink it before it gets cold?”

With a huff of frustration, the Princess grabbed the glass and brought it to her lips, trying to take a sip. She hadn’t expected the heat, however, and as soon as it touched her delicate skin she jerked back in surprise, spilling a bit onto her pale pink nightgown.

“Honestly…” Marceline sighed, grabbing a small towel off of the tray – she’d placed it on there as if she’d expected this to happen – and dropping to her knees. The strawberry blonde watched with flushed cheeks as the dark-haired woman began to dab at her night dress with a sour expression. After a few moments, the nearly-pink haired girl mimicked the expression before turning her face away. When she was finished, the maid stood and tossed the rag back onto the tray. “Today you’ve got a meeting with that brat, so like, dress up or whatever.”

“Marceline, really, such language is unbecoming of a royal servant!” Bonnibel cried, sipping at her tea (which had cooled down enough by this point) before standing up. “You sound like a peasant.”

“I _was_ once, your _Highness_ ,” The dark-haired woman reminded, rather coldly, as her companion crossed the room and opened up her closet.

“Well, you’re not anymore,” her master replied as she slipped inside and tried to find a proper outfit to wear. “And don’t refer to him as _the brat_. Aiden is the _crowned prince_ of the Flame kingdom and my future husband, which makes him _your_ future master. So I think you should try to show a little bit more respect.”

“Whatever,” The maid muttered as she followed the strawberry blonde Princess into the closet and watched as she eyed the rows of clothing that nearly suffocated her. Honestly, the pale-skinned woman couldn’t imagine wanting to dress in much more than the dark ankle-length dress and white apron that she was given to wear. Some of her companion’s outfits were just ridiculous! “After that, your mother wants to see you about that party she’s planning.”

“Oh, of course! I’d forgotten all about that. How silly of me,” The shorter woman breathed as she picked out a simple dress with a deep violet fitted bodice with a slightly lighter ankle-length skirt and sleeves to match. “Marceline, grab my brush, please. I think I’ll do a simple hair style, today.”

“Yes, your Highness,” Marceline sighed, walking across the room and beginning to prep the setup that the royal girl had in front of her large mirror.

When she had first become the Princess’ personal servant, she hadn’t known much about styling hair or putting together outfits. She’d been given quick training but really, it was all lost on her by the time she was actually shoved into the ‘field’. When she was younger, the other maids had helped her out, but after years of practice she had come to known the ins and outs of getting her majesty into her form-fitting dresses and putting her hair into elaborate styles.

Oh, if only her family could see her now… she’d imagine they would laugh at the thought of her prissying up a Princess for a royal date.

After what felt like hours of prep work (and the satisfaction of putting a corset on her ‘friend’), Bonnibel was leading her down the hall and to the dining room, where her mother was seated. The girl’s father had died only days ago, leaving a distraught wife who was trying to hold everything together.

“My darling! Good morning. My, you look as beautiful as always!” Queen Honey informed with a sad smile as her daughter leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “I heard you’re meeting with His Highness Aiden today, yes?”

As she was instructed to do from an early age, Marceline slipped from the room to leave the two women together. Sleep and meal times were the only points during the day that she had to herself and she spent them as well as she could, feasting on what measly scraps the servants were given before returning to her broken little bedroom.

Today all that was left out for them were small dinner rolls left over from the night before and she grabbed only one, knowing that she was one the first to eat and that there probably wasn’t enough for everybody.  She’d never grab more then she needed and often times she found herself grabbing less, just to make sure some of the younger, slower servants ate. (Such was the case of most of the other staff here as well, since they all had some sort of unspoken agreement.)

Each member of the help was given their own tiny room, barely big enough for a bed and a bar to hang their work clothes on. Her own was one of the smallest, which she had traded long ago with a little boy so that he had a bit more space, seeing as he struggled with being confined.

Taking a seat on the bed, the dark-haired girl leaned back against the wall and lifted her eyes to the ceiling as she pulled small pieces from the roll and ate them slowly, hoping the relaxed speed would fill her stomach faster.

As usual, her alone time was spent with her mind drifting and her lips humming silent tunes. Even after eleven years of being contained in these walls, her love of music hadn’t left and she made sure to take time out at least once a day to sing (or at the very least, hum).

She tried to let the lyrics come to her, but instead they began to drift away and she felt her heart begin to break a little bit at a time.

No! She hadn’t wanted to think about this… but the thoughts came anyway and she let herself curl up on the bed, fighting to keep the tears away.

His birthday… today was his birthday. He would be what, nineteen now? She tried to imagine what he would look like but the picture just wouldn’t come like it used to… no, he would be much different from the tiny little eight year old that he’d been when she’d been captured.

Captured… did he even know? Or did he just think she had abandoned him? Her heart felt like it would rip in two at the very thought. No, he knew her better than that… He’d had faith in her back then and she could only hope that it hadn’t disappeared after all those years.

Marshall Lee… her tiny little brother with that cute baby face, all grown up now and doing glob only knows what. Had he made a life for himself? Gotten a job somewhere and maybe found someone to love him? Or was he still living on the streets, starving and weak, like the two of them had been all those years ago?

Silently, Marceline let herself cry for some time, before she managed to calm herself down and clean herself up.

There was no point in crying about it anymore, since there was no way she was ever going to see her brother again.

No matter how much she wanted to.

* * *

It wasn’t Aiden that Bonnibel ended up meeting with, but instead his father, a man that everyone usually just referred to as the Fire King. He was a tall man with flaming red hair and broad shoulders, a cold expression painting his squared face at all times.

The man gave her a nod as she took a seat, Marceline moving to stand near the entrance of the room, her expression blank and her eyes distant.

“Your Highness,” The Fire King greeted across the table, not bothering to touch his tea. “My son tells me of your beauty, but his words do not do you justice. I am sorry to hear of your loss.”

“You flatter me, my lord,” She replied with a polite smile. “My father’s death has been an emotional tragedy, but I shall not let his departure get in the way of our agreements.”

“I must tell you, I do not discuss matters in front of _slaves_ ,” He informed, shooting a distasteful look toward Marceline, who returned it with a disgusted glare.

“Marceline is a friend,” Bonnibel assured, sending the dark-haired girl a stern look. (Inwardly, Marceline wanted to say, ‘You haven’t treated me like one in years’, but she didn’t bother to.)

“In my kingdom we don’t make _friends_ with slaves,” The Fire King told her rather sternly. “And we don’t plan on starting.”

“All the same, in my kingdom we do,” The Princess insisted, a frown crossing her features. “And Marceline will be joining me when I come to live in your kingdom, so whatever you have to say to me can be said in front of her.”

The man’s fiery eyebrows went up for a moment, before he bellowed out a round of sharp laughter that made the strawberry blonde shrink back with a deep frown. After a moment it died down and he hit himself on the chest, as if trying to clear his lungs. “Oh, my son didn’t tell me you had a sense of humor!” He cried, a grin on his squared face. “Of course she won’t be joining you, your Highness. We will accept you and you alone, no more and no less.”

Bonnibel’s eyes went wide and a clash of emotions spread over her face. Shock, confusion, sadness, and then finally anger.

There was no _way_ she was leaving her life-long friend behind! Marceline had been there through thick and thin for eleven _years_ , she wasn’t going to throw that all behind just because some fiery old man told her to!

But then thoughts went through her head and she remembered the politics behind the situation. The Flame Kingdom was rich in both farmland and culture… they would be a huge benefit to have in the royal court.

Was she really willing to throw that all away just for one maid?

“If you say so, your Majesty,” The Princess finally mumbled, letting her eyes lower with a sour expression.

She hadn’t expected the sudden shriek of, “Are you _serious_!?” That filled the air and her nearly violet blue eyes snapped up in alarm, looking at the angry face of Marceline. “Eleven years of friendship and all you have to say is, _if you say so_!?” The pale-skinned girl continued, the hurt evident in her honey-colored eyes. “You’re really going to throw away everything we’ve had together… just like that!? Do you just not like me anymore!?”

“Marcy-” Bonnibel began in alarm, her expression completely dumbstruck.

“NO!” The dark-haired girl snapped, her fists clenched at her sides. “No, you don’t get to call me that anymore! You don’t get to _talk_ to me anymore! Find yourself a different servant, _Princess_ , because I’m DONE!”

And with that, she turned and stormed from the room, not caring about the repercussions of her actions. No amounts of beating and torture would ever match up to the heart break she had just felt and if her outburst meant she never had to see the strawberry-blonde Princess again, it would be too soon.


	2. My kingdom for... my freedom

Prince Burton had been given the nickname ‘Gumball’ around the same time that his younger sister had acquired the title ‘Bubblegum’. While her personality had, as a child, been bubbly and sweet, his own had been kind but still hardened by the weight on his shoulders.

At some point, his sister had taken to calling him ‘Bubba’, which she’d learned was some sort of term children often used for their brothers. He’d detested the name at first, thinking it too _common_ , but after a while it had become a heart-felt thing between them and he’d begun to think of it as his real name.

He’d grown up learning everything about running a kingdom, studying all of the books and meeting with all of the right people. Not a single moment was spent for himself, his life dedicated to the people of his land and doing what was best for them.

There were many laws that he did not agree with and he had known from a young age that as soon as his father passed, he would see fit to change things.

But he had not expected the man to leave this world so soon.

Only twenty two, the Prince was just beginning to step into the world of politics and make a name for himself… he wasn’t yet ready for the hardships that ruling over his land would ensue yet here he was, days from being crowned the new king.

The whole thing was really beginning to be too much but what choice did he have but to take the job? It wasn’t as if his little sister could rule the kingdom – she was, after all, a woman – and his mother wasn’t able to either, so as the crowned Prince and only son of King Leimon, he was the only one fit to do so.

(There were, of course, distant cousins that would be willing to take the job, but he wasn’t about to let the fate of his people fall into the hands of someone he didn’t know or trust.)

His mother was busying herself with making plans for his sister’s upcoming ‘bachelorette’ party, which really was a fancy way of demanding gifts from the nearby nobles. Bonnibel didn’t actually have any friends (save for that ever-present maid of hers) and if he knew his sister as well as he did, she wouldn’t care for any of the gifts that were brought, anyway.

Then again, the girl had changed over the past few years.

With a sour expression, Bubba stared out the window in the sitting room as he awaited the Queen’s arrival. She had requested his audience in order to ‘show him something’, but was running fashionably late. Not that he minded terribly… he was always happy to have some time to think.

Sparing a glance down at his form, the Prince made sure his appearance was fitting for a meeting with his mother. A fitted violet waistcoat over a pale pink button up with a matching ruffled cravat on the front. His trousers were deep magenta and made his nearly violet eyes stand out against his strawberry blonde hair. He looked like royalty, which was as it should be.

He didn’t have much more time to think to himself because it seemed like only moments later the door was opening and two guards bowed to him, before stepping out of the way. His mother appeared in all of her red-haired glory, smiling at him almost sadly as she took in his appearance.

“My darling Burton,” She addressed with heartbreak evident in her voice, crossing the room and reaching out to touch his face. “So much like your father…”

“Mother, really,” He sighed, shooing her hands off of him. “You can call me Bubba. It wouldn’t hurt you.”

The woman made an expression of distaste, before she began to motion him toward the door. “Come, come! I have something of most importance to show you.”

With a dry throat, the Prince followed his red-haired mother from the room, noting that her arms had grown thinner. Had she been eating properly? It was always impossible to tell with those corsets that women were always forcing themselves into. He couldn’t imagine trying to be female and had always had respect for his mother and sister, seeing how much they had to go through just to be considered a little bit less than dirt. (Even so, all they were now to most of the kingdom were bearers of royal sons. He’d decided long ago that this way of thinking would be one of the first to go when he took over.)

She lead him through the winding palace hallways (he swore sometimes that the only people who knew the entire map of the castle were the staff) and up to where the quarters were. Not far from Bubba’s own room was his father’s chamber where he’d slept alone before his sudden death.

“Mother?” The strawberry blonde inquired, sending her a deep frown. No one was allowed in the man’s chambers, the servants hadn’t even been allowed to clean the place yet.

“Pretty soon, this room will belong to you,” Queen Honey informed him with a sad, but gentle smile. “And so, I want you to learn it well, including all of its secrets.”

She offered nothing more as she pulled a key out from between her breasts and slipped it into the lock on the door. It clicked open only moments later and the doors opened. The woman didn’t dare spare a glance inside, immediately turning her back.

The Prince found himself frowning, his heart in his throat. His eyes drifted through the open door and he was entirely surprised to find a large room with golden drapery around the windows and bed. As he slipped inside his mother closed the door and he was left feeling a little robbed.

There was absolutely nothing unusual about this room, save for the seriously bad choice of decoration.

Still, the woman seemed insistent on him exploring the entirety of it and so he began to circle, taking in all of his father’s personal possessions – or rather, the serious lack of them.

There were no paintings lining the walls of family, no trinkets from travels to afar. The only things in the room were furniture and even that was plain and boring, save for the blinding yellows and golds that adorned them.

Just when he thought that the only secret about the room was that he’d have to have a serious redecorator redo the entire place, he slipped over to the closet and pulled it open.

A heavy breath of surprise left not only him, but the form curled up against the back wall.

Rows of expensive clothing lined both sides, but along the back was a row of bars and a small room with a tiny bed that could perhaps fit a child but was by far too small for the person cowering in it. Through the dark, Bubba could only make out a head of messy dark hair and far too thin limbs.

After the intimal shock had worn off he swallowed down the lump in his throat and quickly grabbed a candle from one of the dressers near the door. It took him a moment to light it, his fingers shaking, but once he had he slowly began to creep toward the back of the chamber.

The figure on the bed tried its best to shy away from him and as he got closer, he could make out pale skin and young features. Upon closer inspection it appeared to be a boy, no older then sixteen, with eyes so clear blue they almost looked white. The boy – this _child_ – was thinner than even the thinnest of servants, as if he hadn’t eaten in months. He tried to cower away from the Prince, wrapping his arms around his bony knees and peering up through his chin-length ebony hair.

“It’s okay,” Bubba assured gently, trying not to let his heartbreak show in his voice. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

What was his father doing, keeping a young boy captive in the back of his closet? And had his mother known about this…? She had insisted he find out all of the _secrets_ about his father’s old room, so was she in on the whole thing? What was it all about, anyways? Why have a child captive in your closet? The whole thing just didn’t make any sense to him.

He came upon the doors and peered in at the boy, who he could easily reach out and touch. But he didn’t dare, knowing that his presence was already unsetting the other enough.

“Where is the key?” The Prince inquired, speaking as softly as he could manage. The child eyed him for a few seconds, before his eyes darted over to a shelf on Bubba’s right, where a box was pushed into the corner. The strawberry blonde gave him one last glance before he moved over to the box and opened it, finding a single, silver key inside.

The small form jerked even farther away as he moved to open the door and immediately the Prince held up his hands to show he meant no harm. He pulled the unlocked cage door toward himself and slipped into the entranceway, hoping to block it if the boy tried to run.

But he didn’t. Instead, the child curled even further from him, letting out a serious of whimpers. It was only then that Bubba saw the fading bruises that lined the boy’s arms and legs, as well as the chains that tied his wrists together.

“Good lord…” Bubba choked, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. He bit them down and straightened his shoulders, slowly approaching the boy and taking a seat beside him on the bed. “Can you tell me your name…?”

A quick shake of the head before the boy buried his face into his knees and shook.

The Prince stiffened his shoulders and held his head up high, before addressing, “How impolite of me! I’ve asked you your name without properly introducing myself.” The dark-haired form glanced up at him through his stringy hair, nervously, as the strawberry blonde stood up, nearly towering over him. The boy actually flinched for a moment, only to raise his head in surprise as the noble man gave a gentlemanly bow of respect. “My name is Prince Burton. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir…?”

Clear blue eyes stared up at him in complete awe for what seemed like ages, before the child suddenly realized and quickly turned his eyes downward, lowering his head. It seemed the Prince’s display was enough to get him to crack, however, because he let out the meekest whisper of, “Marshall Lee… my name is Marshall Lee…”

Bubba returned to his seat beside the boy and slowly eyed the chains on the child’s wrists. “How old are you, Marshall Lee?” He inquired, trying to piece things together. How long had this boy been in his father’s closet and what was the purpose behind it? He couldn’t recall any rivaling nations having princes around this child’s age, nor anyone his father could have been around with the other’s name.

“I don’t know,” The other admitted, gripping at what was left of his bottoms tightly in scratched hands. “I don’t know… what day it is or even what year…”

A numb feeling washed over the Prince momentarily, pushing away the disgust and confusion. Gently, he revealed the date to the young boy, thinking that there was no way the form beside him was any older then sixteen, by the looks of him.

As soon as the numbers left his lips, those blue eyes turned to look at him in surprise and confusion. “Is that really the date…?” He whispered, sounding almost heartbroken. Upon Bubba’s silent nod, his eyes drifted downwards. “Then I’m… nineteen, now. It’s my birthday.”

Bubba could feel his heart breaking in his chest, pushing past the walls he’d put up. Every bit of reason went out the window as he stood and practically stormed from the closet, over to the bedroom’s entrance.

His mother was thankfully still in position as he threw the double doors open and reached out, grabbing her arm. She let out a surprised gasp as her eldest child dragged her into her late husband’s room and toward the closet, where he pointed to the cage in the back – still lit by the candle he had placed beside the small bed.

“Explain this!” The Prince demanded, his voice cracking, though he didn’t dare show the deep ache he felt for the child – no, not a child, but a young man – staring at him with a shell-shocked expression. “You must have known, right?! So tell me why!”

“B-Burton… My son…” Honey whispered, trying to turn her gaze from the form before her.

“No!” He snapped, pushing her the smallest bit toward the closet’s back wall once more, turning her attention back to Marshall Lee. “You look at him and you explain to me how you didn’t do anything! Did you know the whole time?!”

“I will speak to you, but not in front of him!” The woman retorted, forcefully pulling her arm from his reach. She spared the dark-haired boy one last glance before turning toward her son and fixing him with a hard stare. Bubba returned it coldly, but none the less he followed her from the closet and did not reach to stop her as she pushed the doors closed.

“I apologize for my outburst, mother,” Bubba stated and he could tell by her expression that she knew he was lying. “But I do believe an explanation is in order.”

The woman took in a deep breath, moving over to a set of chairs by the balcony doors and taking a seat. As her eldest child joined her, she took in a deep breath, her hand over her heart. After a moment she let it out with a heavy sigh. “Your father dabbled in some… things that I did not condone,” She admitted, glumly. “But he was a powerful man, Burton. Had I thought that I could, I would have had that boy released years ago.”

“ _Years_ ago?” The Prince wheezed, gripping the edges of his chair’s arm rests and staring at the floor as the very thought filled his mind. That boy had been in there for _years_? No wonder he hadn’t known his own age! “How long, mother…?”

“Burton-” She began, but he instantly cut in with an expression that demanded an answer.

“How long!?”

The Queen’s lips were straight, her face unreadable… but her eyes said it all. They spoke of fear, of the distress she felt at the very thought of him hating her as soon as she answered. Still, his own expression left no room for debate and eventually she cracked, lowering her eyes. “Eleven years.”

Bubba had to grab onto the arm rests once more as he nearly fell to the floor in shock. His eyes begged her for it not to be true, but her downcast ones showed him how very real the situation was.

His previously breaking heart burst into pieces and spilled out of his chest, across his lap and onto the ground. He lifted his hands and stared down at them, feeling – for the first time in his life – extremely unclean.

He’d spend the last eleven years in the lap of luxury, being pampered and treated like… well, _royalty,_ by hundreds of servants and _slaves_. He’d had his hair washed for him, his clothes washed for him, and once even his body washed for him (though that was only when he’d been injured and unable to wash it himself). He’d been pampered, primed, and pressed…

And this boy, this _child_ (even if he wasn’t literally one), had been locked in the back of a _closet_. All this time, chained back there… with god only knew what being done to him.

“This is unacceptable,” The Prince stated firmly, once he’d gathered his wits about him once more. “This boy will be released immediately! I will see to it that he is properly nursed back to health and then he will be returned to his home.”

“I don’t think that is wise, my son,” Honey cut in and his venomous glare made her cringe back into her seat. “You see, he’s no ordinary boy…”

“Oh _god_ , what now?” Bubba moaned in a way very unbecoming of a prince, but at that moment he couldn’t have cared less. He leaned back in his chair and tried to prepare himself for what was to come.

His mother looked like she’d learned of his father’s death all over again. Distraught and destroyed, she lowered her eyes toward her lap, where her hands were folded and gripping at her dress tightly. “He’s… a street rat,” She explained. “He simply doesn’t have a home.” It seemed as if she had more to say, but she didn’t go on and he didn’t feel like pushing.

“Then I’ll figure something out,” The strawberry blonde informed, inwardly relieved that it was no more than what she’d said. He moved to stand and approached the closet once more, his shoulders stiff. “Call for a team of staff. We have a lot of work to do.”

* * *

He’d told the staff to meet him in his room as to not overwhelm the tiny boy in the back of the closet. They all nodded their heads in confused agreement, before scurrying off to gather the things he’d requested. The Prince had then gathered up his reasoning once more and returned to the dark space to retrieve his father’s prisoner.

Marshall Lee hadn’t thrown a fit when he asked him to leave, like he’d expected. Instead, the boy had only bowed his head and stood, perhaps assuming that Bubba was no better than his father.

When they reached the bedroom door, however, the dark-haired boy’s breathing became confused and heavy. He didn’t dare speak out, but the strawberry blonde laid a gentle hand on his back none the less.

“You’ve never left this room, have you?” The Prince asked and the young man shook his head. In the sun-lit light of the room, his strained (no doubt from the light) blue eyes were nearly white. “I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

With a skeptical expression, Marshall nodded. He looked as if he wanted to speak, but held his tongue with a soft bite to his lower lip.

Carefully, Bubba pushed open the bedroom doors and slipped out them, still keeping a hand on Marshall’s back, trying to detour him from running away. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the boy to have his freedom, he was simply worried that the child ( _no, he’s not a child_ , he had to remind himself) would become lost and even more frightened then he already was.

The walk to the Prince’s bedroom was thankfully very short, but he hadn’t planned on running into someone along the way.

“Bubba!”

A girl with a head of waist-length strawberry blonde hair was just stepping out of her own room, her expression one of panic and worry. It switched to a look of surprise, however, as she spotted the (now cowering) dark-haired form beside her elder brother.

“Who is this?” Bonnibel questioned, her expression demanding answers, similar to how his had with their mother.

“Don’t worry about it,” The elder royal replied, gently pushing Marshall Lee behind himself. “What has you so upset, Bonnie?”

Immediately the young girl’s expression became one of worry once more. “Have you seen Marcy?” She questioned in a rush, her eyes pleading with him.

“I’m afraid I haven’t,” Bubba informed with a frown. Wasn’t his sister’s personal servant always with her? No wonder she was worried if she couldn’t find the girl. “What happened?”

Almost as if she were nervous, Bonnibel began to look around before she leaned in close to her sibling. “She spoke out against me in front of the Fire King.” The Prince’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “He is furious. I want to find her before the guards do.”

“Have you checked her quarters?” He inquired and his sister looked both surprised and dumbstruck.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” The younger admitted with a sheepish glance.

Giving no more room for conversation, Bubba took Marshall Lee’s arm in his hand once more and moved past his sister. “I hope that you find her, Bonnie.”

His sister was already halfway down the hall. “Thanks!”

Only a few steps later, the Prince entered his own room and pulled his dark-haired companion beside him, closing the door. Marshall Lee looked numb – the royal could only imagine what was going on in his mind.

He perhaps thought that Bubba was going to do to him what his father had done (he refused to think about exactly what that was), so imagine his surprise when the strawberry blonde took his shoulders and steered him toward the bathroom.

“Miss Mint,” The Prince addressed as they entered the large private room and found the servants he had ordered in their rightful places. “I expect the bath is warm?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Pepper Mint, his own personal servant from his childhood, told him with a gentle smile. She was an older woman with coppery red hair that was striped with white in her old age. He had loved her like a grandmother his entire life and even now, she was more like family then help. “Is this the boy?”

“Marshall Lee, this is Pepper Mint, my trusted friend,” Bubba informed the confused and awestruck dark-haired boy, who turned to look at him with a worried expression. “She and her team will get you cleaned up and dressed. And oh, of course! How could I have forgotten?” Reaching into his trouser pocket, the pale-haired prince removed the key that had been used to lock the room and slipped it into the cuffs around the boy’s wrist.

As they fell away, the small young man stared down at his arms in confusion and awe. The team of servants barely managed to hold back their winces as they saw the bruises and red marks on his skin, where the metal had been.

“From this moment on, Marshall Lee,” The Prince addressed, catching the boy’s eyes for a moment. “You are a free man. You have every right to leave the castle, should you choose to. However, I think it is best that you let these kind people clean you and allow me to get a good meal in you, before you go. And of course…” His gaze was so intense that he was surprised the other didn’t look away. “You are welcome to stay as long as you’d like, as my honored guest.”

With that said he left the other in peace, not entirely sure if the young man would be there when he returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I know that some of the choices I made in regards to Marshall Lee may seem odd. I understand that most people don't view him as a weaker, smaller character, however I felt the need to write a fresh view on him and the choices I made fit into the role I've given him. I hope to give him more of his canon personality later in the story.
> 
> -I also understand that Marshall's eyes are not usually referred to as blue in fanfiction and fanart, however in this story he is not a Vampire, so I have chosen a more natural eye-color for him. Light blue really just appealed to me.


	3. My kingdom for... an escape

The shocked faces of the maids as she entered the hallway to their quarters would have perhaps been amusing had it not been for the situation. Even as a child she had not been allowed down here, but at that moment she didn’t much care for following the rules.

She _had_ to find Marceline.

It took her a few moments to realize that the rooms did not have any specific marker saying who they belonged to, so as quickly as she could she grabbed a young brunette’s arm and asked her, “Which room belongs to Marceline!?”

“T-That one over there, your highness!” The girl squeaked and as the Princess quickly let her go and made toward it, she called out, “But she’s not in there!”

Opening up the door despite the girl’s protest (as she could have easily been covering for the servant in question), Bonnibel was instantly shell shocked at the state of the room.

It was… just so _tiny_. There wasn’t even enough room to stand next to the bed before you were hitting the bar where one of Marcy’s changes of clothing were hanging. The walls were made of darkened, damp stone and the entire room felt like winter, it was so cold.

“She hasn’t been down here, your highness,” The same girl from before addressed nervously, her eyes downcast. “Not since earlier today.”

Numbly, the strawberry blonde pushed the door closed and turned toward the other girl. Was her room the same way? Did they _all_ have rooms like this? She found herself biting down on her bottom lip for a moment, before remembering the situation and gently telling the small servant, “If you see her, please tell her to stay hidden. I fear the guards are looking for her. Let me know as soon as you’ve seen her, please, and let the others know to do the same.”

“Yes ma’am,” The girl replied with a quick bow, before she turned and rushed off in another direction to tell the rest of the staff.

Bonnibel all but collapsed against the door, lifting her hands to stare down at them. Her perfectly primed nails with expensive polish and gloves made of the finest silk… her dress that cost probably more then everything in Marceline’s room, including the stone walls and wooden door.

Was this really how a servant lived? She couldn’t fathom it. Her own room was longer then this hallway, yet all of these people who worked daily to make her life a luxury were forced to live like this.

Feeling ill, the Princess pulled herself away from the door and went back to her search, while silently wishing this all could be much different.

\--

When Bubba returned to his bathroom, he’d half expected to find that Marshall Lee had disappeared into the night. So imagine his surprise when he slipped into his bedroom and Pepper stepped out of the bathroom, holding up a hand.

“Just a moment, your Majesty,” She stated, pulling the bathroom door closed behind herself. “He is not yet finished being dressed.”

“He’s still here?” The Prince inquired, his eyebrows lifting up. “How is he?”

A sad frown crossed the woman’s lips and she reached up, gently touching his face. “It was a kind thing you did, releasing him, your majesty. But I’m afraid it isn’t valid. He is property of his highness the King and until you take over as King, he will remain as such. When you wear the crown, he will become yours and then you will be able to release him.”

The young man couldn’t help but think that her change in subject meant the worst. “Miss Mint, please.”

With a heavy sigh, Pepper let her hand drop and turned to stare at the door sadly. “Must I say it all aloud, your majesty? I’m sure you can fathom exactly what went on without it being brought to my lips.”

The other’s chest felt tight. He slowly let out a breath and whispered, “Fair enough,” deciding to let it go. If she refused to speak of it, then it was exactly what he had feared; no doubt Marshall’s body was worse for the wear and what he had endured in that room was something no living being should ever be put through.

Eventually the doors came open and one of the servants bowed respectfully to him. She then stepped aside, revealing someone who looked nothing like the tiny form that Bubba had seen in the room only hours before.

Marshall Lee looked dashing in his scarlet waistcoat, with a deeper version of the color for his trousers and an over jacket that the staff had no doubt put on him to keep him warm. Beneath it all was a white, high-collared button-up that only just covered a deep, hand-shaped bruise around his throat.

The ensemble made the boy look taller and a bit more his age, though the Prince could still tell how thin he was.

The younger boy did not lift his eyes as he bowed lowly, his body tense. Bubba could only amuse he thought the Prince was merely prettying him up for another round of agony.

“I’m glad to see that you choose not leave,” The strawberry blonde informed, inwardly remembering Pepper’s words, but choosing not to think about them for the moment. “I would like to get a meal in you at the very least.”

“Yes, your majesty,” The dark-haired young man replied and the older man could have sworn he heard a bit of bite in the other’s voice, but passed it off as his imagination.

“Come,” He stated, motioning for his companion to follow before turning and leaving for the dining hall.

Their walk was spent in an awkward silence and the older man felt almost uncomfortable, like he was leading a lamb to be slaughtered. He spared a glance back at Marshall’s far too thin face and wondered what on earth could have possessed his father to do such a thing to another living being.

Slavery was wrong, he’d known that since he was a child. But what this boy had been through… that was worse than slavery, that was… he couldn’t even begin to find the words. Marshall had been kept imprisoned for eleven _years_ , beaten and _used_. Bubba wasn’t sure how the boy managed to stay sane all that time.

They entered the dining hall and the older motioned for his companion to take a seat near the head of the table, moving around to sit across from him. He’d had the draperies pulled over the windows (assuming that the bright sun would hurt the child’s delicate eyes, as he’d been imprisoned in the dark for so long) and had asked a few of the cooks to prepare a meal to fill up the boy’s small stomach. (Not too big of one, though, because that would make him ill.)

He briefly considered the fact that he hadn’t asked Marshall what his favorite foods were, but then remembered that the young man probably hadn’t had a decent meal in eleven years, so it was likely he didn’t even known.

A young man with dark blonde hair served the pale boy a bowl of cabbage soup. As he left, Marshall stared down at the food with an unreadable expression, almost like he was waiting to be given permission to eat.

With his stomach in knots, Bubba motioned to the food and smiled, “Go on, then, Marshall Lee. Please, enjoy!”

Slowly, Marshall Lee picked up the provided spoon and ate, his eyes downcast as he did so. He took no more than a few bites before placing the spoon down.

The Prince’s smile slowly crawled into a frown. “Not to your liking?”

“Will all due respect, your majesty,” The other man mumbled, his shoulders tense, like he was waiting for the punishment to come. “I understand that you are caring for me in your father’s absence, but when he returns he will not be pleased with these actions.”

A moment of silence passed between them as the strawberry blonde let the other boy’s words soak into him, his eyebrows high on his forehead. He realized, then, that no one had been in his father’s room since his death, thus no one had been around to inform Marshall of the man’s passing.

“I’m afraid I’ve neglected to inform you,” He hummed, bowing his head in apology. “How careless of me. My father passed away only days ago, Marshall Lee. He will not be returning.”

To the Prince’s surprise, the other man’s pale blue eyes shot up suddenly, wide with confusion and perhaps a bit of hope. “He’s… he’s dead?” He breathed in what appeared to be awe, almost seeming to plead with his companion.

“He is,” Bubba assured, a gentle smile crossing his features. It was probably the first good news the other had heard in years and he was glad to be the one delivering it.

What he didn’t expect was for Marshall Lee to pull his lips back and bare his teeth (no, they were _fangs_ ), letting out a cat-like hiss. The Prince gasped in alarm as the whites of the boy’s eyes suddenly darkened to black and his clear irises turned deep red. The dark-haired young man sprang from his seat and flew upward suddenly, seeming to almost _float_ before he pushed himself against one of the draperies and let out another hiss.

“M-Marshall Lee!” The startled Prince gasped, stumbling from his own seat in alarm. The guards outside of the room must have heard the commotion, because they came thundering in, looking all around.

They didn’t spot the boy until a few moments later when Marshall’s body began to twist and grow, his skin growing darker and giving way to short fur. Long wings sprouted from his back and his eyes became large and red as his face and body became bat-like, nearly the size of the dining table.

As Bubba stared up at him, completely shell-shocked by everything that went on, he was vaguely aware as a dark-haired form seemed to literally _appear_ from out of nowhere, her eyes wide in alarm.

“Marshall!” Marceline cried, seeming to catch the bat’s attention.

The guards seemed to gather themselves moments later and one of them aimed carefully, before releasing a long spear. It pierced through the giant bat’s right shoulder and the creature let out a shriek of alarm, before it began to coil itself around, as if trying to curl up. It ended up getting twisted in the draperies and everyone watched, stunned, as it fell and it’s body shrank once more.

Pretty soon the group stood there, silently staring at the pile of silken fabric laying on the floor, before finally Marceline burst forward, shoving past the guards.

“Marshall!” She cried, panic evident in her cracking voice as she tried to dig through the giant mass of curtains to find the dark-haired young man. Bubba, after a moment, moved over to join her, taking silent note of the blood-stained spear that had fallen nearby.

Eventually they managed to uncover the dark-haired boy, who was gripping at his blood-soaked right shoulder, his breath coming quickly as if he were a frightened mouse. His clear blue eyes darted around the room in a state of panic, completely clouded and not really seeing much.

“He needs a medic!” The Prince cried to the guards, who in turn stared at him with confused, dumb-struck expressions.

“Marshall, can you hear me?” Marceline begged, reaching out to touch the boy’s face and frowning as he cringed away from her. There were tears forming in her honey-colored eyes, but she quickly reached up and brushed them away. “It’s me! It’s Marcy!”

“Marceline,” Bubba called and she lifted her eyes to him, an unreadable expression on her pale face. “I don’t think he knows what’s going on right now. The best thing we can do is let the doctor take care of him.”

Turning, the dark-haired woman saw the two members of the medical staff approaching with two matching faces of confusion.

“I think you and I need to discuss some things,” The Prince went on and she turned back toward him, her lips tight. He held out his hand to her, his expression gentle. “Come. We can do nothing for him, here.”

Marceline looked down to her brother. There was no mistaking who he was… despite years since their last time together, the boy’s face was still recognizable, even in the early stages of adulthood. She couldn’t fathom leaving him again, not after all of those years of wondering if he was even alive… the very thought made her chest feel tight.

But Prince Burton was kind and he had obviously taken care of Marshall so far. They’d been having some sort of dinner when she’d heard the boy’s name and entered, hidden from view. Then the Prince had mentioned his father’s death and her brother had completely lost it.

No doubt the strawberry blonde haired man before her would not let any harm befall her sibling.

With a straight face, the maid took the man’s hand and let him pull her to her feet, just as another form with a head of hair matching the other’s entered the room.

“Marceline!” Bonnibel cried in what appeared to be relief, before she took in the scene and gasped in confusion. “What on earth-?”

“I will explain later, Bonnie,” Bubba informed, gently pulling Marceline and his sister both (after taking her hand along the way) from the room. The dark-haired woman spared a glance back, seeing the medics and her brother, who seemed to have lost consciousness.

\--

Bubba remained silent as he paced back and forth for a few moments, tension obvious in his shoulders. Bonnibel was eyeing Marceline nervously with a concerned expression, but the dark-haired woman was too busy staring at the Princess’ older brother to really think about it.

Finally, after she couldn’t take the silence any longer, the maid spoke up. “Where was he?”

The man turned to look at her, a frown on his features. “Come again?”

“Those bruises on his neck and wrists… those were old,” Marceline commented. Her eyes were narrowed, as if she was accusing the other. “Where was he, before I found you in the dining hall with him? And why did he lose it when you mentioned the King?”

Bubba’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Hadn’t she appeared only after Marshall Lee’s reaction? So how had she known it had been about his father? “I will answer all of your questions to the best of my knowledge, Marceline, under one condition.”

The woman made an annoyed face, gripping the arm rests of the chair she was seated in so tightly that her fingernails were digging into the fabric, nearly tearing it. “What’s that, your _highness_?”

“You, in turn, explain to me what exactly went on in that room,” The Prince replied, finally taking a seat across from her, his expression unreadable.

“…Fair enough,” She stated after a moment, taking the time to cross her arms and lean back, before prompting, “Well? Where was he?”

Bonnibel must have thought it more beneficial to remain silent, because she leaned back and watched the two of them with an unreadable look upon her gentle features, her gaze drifting back and forth.

With a heavy breath, Bubba actually lowered his eyes, not caring at the moment that it was very unbecoming of a Prince to do so, especially when speaking to a servant. “From what I gather, he’s spent the last eleven years in my father’s closet.” Marceline’s eyebrows shot up, a mess of emotions gathering in her eyes. “It appears he was the King’s prisoner. When I found him he was bound at the wrists and he cowered from me. He informed me that he did not know of his own age, but when I questioned my mother, she stated that he’d been in there for eleven years.”

“Mother knew?” Bonnibel inquired softly, sounding a bit heart-broken.

“If your father weren’t dead, I would murder him _myself_ ,” The dark-haired maid hissed, not caring for the moment who heard her. “I gather he wasn’t back there for fun and games, then?” She did not receive an answer, but then again she didn’t really expect one. “Tell me more.”

With another sigh, the Prince finally managed to lift his gaze. “I pulled him from the room and had Pepper and a team clean him up and treat his more recent wounds, before I brought him to the dining hall to feed him. He seemed… fearful, that my father would return and punish him for my actions. When I explained to him that he had passed days ago, he… well, turned into that _monster_.”

“He’s _not_ a monster,” Marceline explained, ignoring the confused look on Bonnibel’s face. She hadn’t been there to witness all that went on, after all. The maid’s shoulders went stiff and she eyed her best friend for a moment, before turning her gaze away. “As I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, my brother and I aren’t exactly… human.”

The Princess’ confused expression turned to one of shock, before twisting into a look of pain. She was conflicted; on one hand she was offended that her childhood friend had not told her such a deep secret, but on the other hand she realized that if Marceline had revealed this beforehand, it might have gotten out and the girl would have been beheaded.

Bubba’s lips were straight, his eyes unreadable. After a few moments let out a slow breath and asked, “Then what are you?”

“We’re not _demons_ , if that’s what you’re thinking,” The dark-haired woman defended coldly, her honey eyes narrowed. “We’re _nymphs._ You know, spirits of the land? We just so happen to be underworld nymphs, which means we’re often mistaken for demons.”

“Nymphs…” Bonnibel mumbled, remembering the books she had read when she was younger on the creatures. The stories usually cold of creatures that roamed in the forests, keeping it alive, or in the ocean, caring for the fish… it did not speak of the underworld, however. “If you’re underworld creatures, Marceline, why are you on the surface?”

The older girl seemed almost surprised by the question. Then she slowly frowned and glanced downward, shoulders tense. “We snuck out… well, no, I guess that’s not quite true. I took Marshall and I ran when we were very young.” The royal siblings leaned in, completely entranced by the story. “The underworld was… well, I’m sure you can imagine. And just because we weren’t human didn’t mean we weren’t treated like it by the creatures there. Our parents were murdered before our eyes, slaughtered like cattle… so I took my brother and I found a way out.”

It was obvious from her expression that she did not want to discuss the subject any further.

“All this time…” The Princess whispered, her face going soft. “And you’ve been something so magical, so fascinating…”

“It’s not something to take so lightly,” Bubba cut in, catching both of the women’s attention. “At least a dozen guards witnessed Marshall’s display and no doubt they’ll assume he is a demon. I know that my medics will not let any harm befall him-” He held up a hand as Marceline tried to speak, silencing her instantly. “But when word of this gets around, it may leak out to the people and it will be difficult to convince them that he is _not_ a demon.”

“They’ll cry for him to be beheaded,” His sister whispered, sorrow in his voice.

The dark-haired maid growled and looked about ready to strike, though what they weren’t sure. The strawberry-blonde haired man held up a hand once more and gave her a gentle, if not sad smile. “I will not let that happen to him, Marceline. You have my word.”

Before any more could be said, the door suddenly came open and a large man with flaming red hair stepped in, pointing one thick finger in the pale woman’s direction.

“Your highness, Prince Burton!” He shouted at a level far above what should have been appropriate. “I _demand_ that this woman be executed!”

“W-What!?” Bonnibel shrieked, rising to her feet in time with her older brother, who looked dumbstruck.

“She spoke out of turn in front of her majesty, the Princess,” He continued, copper eyes daring daggers into a very still and silent Marceline, whose own expression matched it. “And look at her, just now! She _dares_ look at me with such distain! A slave like that needs to be put down!”

“Marceline is not a _slave_!” Bonnibel cried, looking between her brother and her best friend in panic.

“She wears the robes of a slave,” The Fire King hissed, lowering his hand finally before turning to look at the Prince. “Unless you have that… that _ingrate_ beheaded, the deal between our countries is off!”

Bubba’s expression became one of shock and he turned to look at Marceline, who slowly stood up from her chair.

“Furthermore…” The king continued, copper eyes nearly aflame with rage. “I will wage war on this country!”

“What!?” Bonnibel cried, grasping at her chest, just above her heart, as it filled with shock and pain. It was so intense that she felt as if she couldn’t breathe, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

All this, over one little insult?! This man was insane!

“Your Majesty-” Bubba tried to reason, but was cut off as Marceline stepped forward.

“You don’t have to worry about that, your _greatness_ ,” She spat, before beginning to grin at his horrified look. “Because I won’t be here to die!”

Her best friend let out a gasp of horror as Marceline’s body began to twist and grow, taking on a large bat-like form similar to her brother’s. The King let out a high-pitched shriek as she pushed him out of the way and took off down the hall.

“Marceline, no!” Bonnibel cried, her eyes filling with tears as she began to stumble after the other. “Please, don’t do this!”

The maid didn’t look back, swallowing down the pain that filled her heart as her loved one called for her.

This was for the best. There was no way the Princess would be able to choose between her country and her childhood friend without breaking her heart, so there was no other way but to disappear.

But she was taking Marshall with her.

The doctor looked extremely alarmed as she burst through the door into the medical wing, positioned over the unconscious young man, having apparently just stitched up the wound in his chest. Awarding herself for her good timing, the woman moved her long arms over and scooped his tiny form up, cradling him against her chest.

“No!” The doctor’s nurse cried, her long brown hair pulled away from her face and a pair of large glasses covering her eyes. “If you take him now, he could die!”

“If I don’t, he _will_ ,” Marceline informed coldly, before she moved over to the large window and shoved an arm through the stained glass, breaking it carelessly. Her massive wings sprouted from her back and she pushed her way through the small opening, before taking off into the setting sun, Marshall held gently in her arms.

As Bonnibel came into the room, Bubba just behind her, the two medics stared numbly up at the broken window in a dumbstruck silence.

“Marceline…” The Princess whispered, tears beginning to stream down her face.

Quietly, the girl wondered to herself if she would ever see her best friend again.


	4. My Kingdom for... fortune

The ceiling was made of wood panels, hand crafted by the looks of it, but not in bad shape. It gave way to a what appeared to be a small, one-room cottage, with two beds, a dresser, a table, and a fireplace. The bed she was lying on had a thick, fur pelt covering it like a blanket and a thin cloth sheet beneath it.

On the other bed rested a dark-haired form, sweat glistening on his forehead and a look of pain on his unconscious face. A girl was seated at his bedside, wiping at his face with a wet cloth gently, a sad expression on her face. She had blonde hair that was pulled up into a white cap and soft blue eyes that turned to glance at the other bed.

“Oh!” She called, smiling warmly and placing the cloth back into a bowl in her lap. “You’re awake.”

Marceline sat up quickly, only to lay back down as her head began to spin. She tried desperately to remember what happened and vague images came to her, but nothing she could really make sense of.

“My brother found you and this boy in the forest,” The girl explained, coming over to her bedside, a sad expression on her face. “He claims you fell from the sky, but he has a big imagination. You had several wounds that I’ve treated, but I’m afraid your friend has caught a fever. I’ve been trying my best to treat him.”

That was right… as she’d flown from the palace, the guards had released arrows, hitting her in several places. She’d made is as far as the snow-covered mountains near the palace before losing consciousness.

Eyeing the girl nervously, Marceline slowly sat up and pulled herself from the bed, taking note of the stiff soreness in her limbs and the bandages wrapped around them. She was dressed in what looked to be light blue sleeping robes, no doubt belonging to the blonde, and had bandages wrapped around her center as well. Her long hair had been lazily braided, likely to keep it away from her wounds.

The blonde didn’t move to stop her as she approached the other bed and took the now vacant seat, looking down at Marshall Lee with a sad expression.

“He’s been mumbling in his sleep, but he has yet to awaken,” The other girl informed, sadly. “You’ve been out for the night. It’s midday, now. Oh, where are my manners!” Reaching up, she slapped a hand against her cheek, as if to snap herself out of a daydream. “My name is Fionna. Fionna Mertens. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The dark-haired woman turned to glance at her, as if sizing her up. She could definitely take this girl, if it came to it, so she supposed there was no harm in letting her know who she was. “I’m Marceline Abadeer.” She motioned gently to the boy on the bed. “This is Marshall Lee, my little brother.”

Fionna smiled widely, setting the bowl on a table by the bed. “I have a little brother, too. His name is Finn. Right now he’s off hunting. Are you hungry? I’ve got a whole mess of raspberries that I just picked, they are plenty fresh.”

“I appreciate the help, but we can’t stay,” Marceline explained as the other woman crossed over to what looked like a kitchen area.

The blonde turned to look at her in surprise. She quickly held up her hands and explained, “I won’t stop you, of course… but personally, I think it would be wise to stay at least until his fever breaks. But I’m honestly not sure how long that will be, since his chest wound appears to be infected.”

Alarmed, the dark-haired woman turned to her brother and pulled down the blankets, only to see a clean bandage across the boy’s chest.

“I was going to have Finn watch over you while I go down to the nearest town and buy him some medicine,” Fionna explained, taking a bowl from the counter and bringing it over, offering it to her guest. “It’s quite a walk, however, so I may be gone some time.”

“How far is it?” Marceline inquired, glancing down at the raspberries. They _did_ look good. Slowly, she reached out and took one, lifting it to her lips.

The taste was _amazing_. She hadn’t had fresh food since before she’d been captured and forced into slavery.

“Almost a day’s walk, to and from,” Fionna explained. She took a seat on the bed opposite Marshall’s, a smile on her face that did not reach her eyes. “Our parents did not like the way King Leimon ruled, with slavery and greed… so they built this cabin high up in the mountains and we’ve lived here ever since.”

The room’s front door came open suddenly an a young boy stepped in, pulling his jacket’s hood off to reveal a white cap, similar to his sister’s, over a head of blonde hair. He seemed to realize what was going on and his eyes lit up in excitement.

“You’re awake!” He cried, pulling the door closed after a large yellow dog had stepped in. “Jake, look! How cool, huh!?” The dog let out a loud bark, but the boy (Finn, she presumed) was already halfway across the room, rushing up to Marceline. “You’re a nymph, right!?”

Instantly the girl’s eyes narrowed and she stood up, standing in front of her brother, crouched in a defensive position.

“Woah!” Fionna cried, standing as well and moving to her own brother’s side.

“I saw your bat form!” Finn continued, seeming unaware of the tension in the room. “It was exactly like dad described! Look!”

The two girls watched him stiffly as he moved over his bed and pulled a large book which was in terrible shape, with pages sticking out. On the cover was a skull with a sword and what looked like a batch of grapes, as well as a circle of gems. He flipped it open to a certain page and brought it over, holding it up for the girl to see.

Her eyes went wide and she relaxed, reaching out to take the object in her hands.

 _Underworld Nymphs_ , the page read. It had drawings of the various types of creatures she was able to sift into, as well as a long explanation about her kind. At the very end it read, _Do not mistake them for demons, for these Nymphs are very kind_.

“Perhaps I should explain,” Fionna stated, drawing the dark-haired girl’s eyes to her. “Our parents were adventurers. They wrote down everything they saw on their adventures in that book, which they called the Enchiridion.”

“Our dad was very good friends with an Underworld Nymph in his youth!” Finn declared, grinning widely, revealing a few missing teeth. “He told us all about them! Oh man, you’re so _cool_!”

“Finn, please, calm down,” Fionna laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “She’s just woken up, you don’t want to overwhelm her.”

As the girl steered her brother away, Marceline fell back into the chair beside her own sibling’s bed.

They’d known what she was, but they still took her in without fear? They hadn’t even questioned where her gashes had come from or why her brother had such a badly infected wound. Furthermore, they claimed that their father had known (past tense, she noted) a nymph like her…

Kind people. These were kind people.

The thought was foreign to her. She’d grown up partly in the underworld, where demons cruelly treated her family and slaughtered her parents. On the surface, they’d been homeless and the city folk would often throw rocks at them when they attempted to find food. Then they’d been captured by the king’s men and well… the rest was history.

She lifted her eyes and watched as Finn spoke excitedly to his sister, petting his large yellow dog, while she held a spotted white cat and smiled, nodding every so often.

These two people, barely even teenagers, had shown her more kindness then nearly everyone she’d met in her life. And they didn’t even know her.

“Marceline, right?” Finn called, catching her attention. “Fionna can go into town now and get that medicine. It will work, won’t it? On your brother?”

“It should,” She replied, remembering Bonnibel giving her medicine at one point when she’d come down with a fever. “I can give you a ride, though. It will go faster.”

Fionna’s eyebrows shot up. “I think a large bat would catch attention, though.”

The dark-haired woman grinned widely. “That’s not all I can turn into, remember?”

* * *

Bonnibel stared down at her lap, ignoring her mother as she paced back and forth in front of the door.

Her brother was in another room, trying to make things right with the flame kingdom’s lord. She had tried for some time to care about the outcome, but it had given way to worry and left her heartbroken and numb.

Was Marceline alright? She’d seen the guards shooting arrows at the woman, but then she’d disappeared from view somewhere over in the mountains. Her brother had ceased their call for retrieval, but some of the capitol city’s inhabitants had seen Marceline flying by and were banging down the castle doors, crying for protection.

Her brother was extremely overwhelmed, but her mother had refused to step in. He was to be king in only a few days, so he had to learn to deal with many things happening at once.

Eventually the door came open and she stood as Bubba entered, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Well?” Their mother prompted, worry evident on her aging features.

“We will not go to war,” The Prince informed and instantly the two women let out sighs of relief. “However-” He began and the Princess could have sworn her mother looked ready to faint. “The wedding is off.”

“What!?” The Queen cried, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “But-! That was going to boost our economy! The trading routes… the treaty!”

“I’m afraid there was nothing more I could do,” Bubba informed her, rather sadly. “It was hard enough to get him to cease his claim of war. I had to explain to him that we had no power over Marceline’s actions and I apologize, Bonnie, for some of the words he used to describe her.” His sister gave a sad nod, inwardly not wanting to know what those words were. “He said that he would not let his son marry into a country that allows a _demon_ ,” he spat the word like a bad taste. “Into their palace walls.”

“But she wasn’t a demon,” Honey cut in and both of her children turned to look at her in shock. Slowly, the woman frowned. “But of course, you must have known that…”

“You knew what she was!?” Bonnibel snapped, approaching the woman with a furious expression. “All this time!?”

“Which means you knew what Marshall was, too,” Bubba breathed, before his eyes went wide. “So when you told me that he wasn’t just a normal boy…!”

She gave a heavy sigh and took a seat, motioning for her children to do the same. “When you two were very small,” The woman began and they settled in for what appeared to be a long story, hoping that some of their questions would be answered. “A farmer came to your father and explained that he had seen two demons in his field only nights before. Demon wolves, he said, that were stealing his crops.

“Your father was a smart man, however… He realized that, if these were _really_ demon wolves, they would have been hunting the cattle or sheep, not the crops. So whatever these were, they were something very different. So he set out with some men the next night and went to the farmer’s land, trying to see if he could spot the creatures in question.

“They came again that night, but what he saw was not two demons… but two small children with extraordinary abilities. Somehow, they had the ability to shape themselves into creatures. He had two of his men follow the children while he returned to the castle to try and figure out exactly what they were.

“Your father set out in search of answers and came across a young researcher named Doctor Mertens. Mertens told your father that these children were Underworld Nymphs and that they were harmless... then he showed your father a book that changed everything.”

Bonnibel let out a slow breath and looked toward her brother, whose expression was cold. If he was feeling the same as her, it was no doubt that the distain for their father had grown.

“In the book,” Their mother went on, staring out the window at the cloudy sky. “It stated that to drink the blood of an underworld nymph would bring you great fortune. Mertens went on to explain that he’d done it only once, when he and his wife were unable to conceive a child due to her being wounded when she was younger, and that it had cured her. Your father became… very, _very_ greedy, when he learned that.

“He had his men capture the children separately, so that they did not know the other one had been caught. He wanted nothing to do with the girl, so he had her sent with the other slaves, but the boy… well.” She pulled her lips tight, her eyes narrowed. “He chained him in his room and told him that if he fought, his sister would be killed.”

“Marceline…” Bonnibel gasped, lifting a hand to her mouth as her eyes began to fill with tears.

“The boy cooperated,” The Queen informed, sadly. “And for eleven years your father drank his blood daily, showering him with fortune and favor. That is why, for the past eleven years, we have not had a declaration of war or even a single protest amongst the kingdom. But… Mertens failed to inform your father that if you drink too much at once, the blood of a Nymph becomes poisonous.”

Bubba’s eyes went wide and his sister’s mouth fell open. “You mean father died… because…?”

“He died because of his greed and his greed alone,” She informed. “No blame falls on that boy and I should hope you are kind enough to recognize that, Burton.”

“Of course, mother,” The Prince whispered, before he fell silent.

The three of them sat there quietly for some time, before the guards came to retrieve Bubba in order to deal with the frightened people of the kingdom.

* * *

Fionna let out one last excited yell before Marceline came to a stop and she slid off of her back. Cake, her ever-faithful companion, jumped off of the wolf’s rear with a heavy huff, shaking the fallen snow from her fur and reaching one paw up to lick at it.

The dark-haired woman shifted herself back into her human form and grinned, before turning to glance through the trees at the village, only about fifty yards away.

“See?” She inquired with a smirk. “Much faster.”

“And much more exciting!” The blonde-haired girl exclaimed, before sending a smile down to her companion. “Right, Cake?”

The cat gave another huff before she leapt up and gracefully landed atop Fionna’s shoulders, wrapping her long body around the girl’s neck like a scarf.

“I’ll be here waiting for you,” Marceline informed and her companion gave a short nod, before starting off for the village. She watched the other walk away for a few moments, then began to look around.

It was a tiny little city, so it was a wonder they even carried medicine at all. Most of the people were dressed in heavy furs, since they were still on the mountain and the snow clung to the city streets. Children were laughing and running around in a nearby field and a woman with redish brown hair was watching them with a smile on her face.

“You’re friends with Fionna, right?”

Marceline jumped, her body going stiff as her eyes fell upon a olive-skinned man with dark hair. He looked at her in surprise from behind his round glasses, holding up his hands.

“My name is Simon!” He cried, trying to show that he meant no harm. “Simon Petrikov. I saw her ride up with you.” Instantly the girl’s brown eyes went wide, before she bared her fangs, her nails beginning to shape into claws. “Oh no, no! I’m not going to harm you!” The man slowly reached out a hand, palm up, a fearful smile on his face. “I was a friend of Fionna’s father and also of his Nmyph friend, Hunson Abadeer. You don’t need to fear me.”

Marceline’s defensiveness was gone in an instant, giving way to shock. “Hunson Abadeer? You knew Hunson Abadeer!?”

“Not as well as Fionna’s father, but yes, I’d met him a few times,” Simon informed in surprise, reaching up to fix his glasses.

“Hunson was my father!” The dark-haired woman explained, her mouth agape. “He never told me that he had human friends…!”

“I suspect living in the underworld, he wouldn’t have wanted it to get around,” Simon replied gently, a sad smile on his face. “You came here with Fionna, correct?” At the girl’s nod, he continued. “May I ask why?”

“She came to get medicine,” Marceline informed, not sure if she should reveal the whole story. There was no way this human man could have known her father’s name, but she wasn’t completely sure she could trust him.

“Oh my, then I’d better get back to my place!” He cried, reaching out to take Marceline’s hand before starting toward the village. “Betty, dear! I’ll be at the office!”

“Alright!” The redheaded woman called after him.

“I was just out gathering herbs to make more medicine,” He explained to the dark-haired woman as he pulled her along, her shoulders tense. “We get some imported from the big city, but it’s not enough to sustain us, especially with how sick we get from his weather. So I research and find other ways to cure illnesses. I’ve been treating Fionna and her brother for years.”

A frown crossed the other’s face and she lowered her eyes for just a moment. That was exactly what Bonnibel had wanted to do with her life, before she’d been swept up into the politics of being a Princess. Would she have been able to do it? Perhaps even by this man’s side, they could have found cures for the unthinkable.

The two of them came up to an office with a sign outside that read, _Medic_. A few people around them stopped to look, only to smile when they saw that it was Simon. They did not even question Marceline’s appearance.

Fionna was inside as they entered, looking a little bit lost. Her face lit up, however, when she saw the man. “Simon, there you are!” Surprise washed over the excitement after a moment when she spotted the dark-haired woman behind him. “Oh, Marceline!”

“Oh, so that’s your name,” Simon informed, coming around to a large cabinet stuffed full of glass vials. “We met while I was out gathering herbs. Marceline explained to me that you are looking for some medicine?”

“It’s her brother,” The blonde-haired girl explained, missing the sour look on her dark-haired companion’s face. “He has an infected wound and he’s all feverish.”

“What kind of wound?” The man inquired, turning to look at them in surprise.

They both turned to look toward the older girl, who puffed up her cheeks in frustration for a moment. Then, slowly, she let out a breath. They would probably find out one way or another, so it was better to just come out with it. “He was stabbed through the shoulder with a royal guard’s spear.”

Simon’s eyebrows immediately shot up and he turned toward a locked cabinet, reaching into his pocket and grabbing a key, before pulling it open. “That’s quite serious,” He explained. “The royal guards poison the tips of their spears so that their enemies do not get away. I’ve had this antidote for some time, but I’ve never before had to use it… You are very lucky that I even have it at all.”

“Thank god for small miracles, then,” Marceline replied with a deep frown as he began gathering up some things. She hadn’t known about the poison tips… Would it have been better to leave Marshall at the palace? _No_ , she decided with a quick shake of her head. _They would have killed him_.

“We’ll take my carriage. I need to go up there with you,” Simon informed as he finished packing his things in his bag. “This is very serious and we need to hurry.”

With a quick nod, Fionna turned and left, the tall man on her heels. Marceline remained in her spot for a few moments, before seeming to snap out of her daze and following after them.

Marshall was still very much in danger… all she’d wanted was to keep her brother safe, but now there was a real chance that she would lose him.

* * *

“N-no… p-please…”

Finn lifted his eyes from the book in his lap, a frown on his features. The dark-haired boy on the bed was turning his head back and forth, a look of despair on his unconscious face.

“No more…” The other whispered, before his eyes came open halfway, his vision clouded.

“You okay?” The blonde haired boy inquired, moving over to the chair his sister had put beside the bed. “Hey, man… it’s alright. You’re safe.”

“Huh…?” The other inquired. Marshall Lee, that’s what Fionna had said his name was. “W-w…”

“My name’s Finn,” The blonde explained, reaching out to put a hand on top of Jake’s head as the large dog climbed onto the bed, beside the sickly boy. “And this is Jake. We’re protecting you, man! No one’s gonna get you.”

The boy’s hazy eyes were a very bright blue and they almost seemed to glow in the dim light of the room. It was obvious just by looking in them that he didn’t really see Finn, however, as he stared off into the distance.

Still, the boy kept trying. “Your sister went with mine to get you some medicine. It’ll probably taste bad, but it will make you feel better, okay? So you gotta take it and stuff. Oh! I think it’s really cool, what you are. Don’t worry, Fionna and I are down with that whole nymph thing. I’ve even got a book on you! See!” He held up the large book, a grin on his face. “Says right here that you’re kind and stuff.”

Marshall Lee’s eyes shifted toward Jake, who rested his large head on the boy’s upper leg. One shaky hand slowly reached out and touched the yellow fur and for a moment, it seemed like the dark-haired boy knew what was going on.

Then his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness again.

Frowning, Finn turned to look at Jake and noticed that the dark-haired boy’s hand was still resting on the dog’s head.

“We gotta protect him, boy,” He told the canine, softly. The response was a sigh, which the blonde could have sworn sounded sad.

* * *

“It’s simply disgusting,” The flame kingdom’s lord stated as he climbed into his carriage and settled in for a long ride. “Letting a demon into their palace… and then claiming not to know. I knew that girl was wrong from the first time I saw her.”

He turned, pulling one red silken curtain back to look across the land, over at a mountain piled high with snow. He’d seen the demon fly off that direction and then drop, no doubt she was somewhere within the forest.

“If they won’t bother hunting her,” He hissed, copper eyes aflame with rage. “Then I will.”

Silently, the young man across from him narrowed his own golden eyes and prepared himself for the long journey to come.


	5. My kingdom for... a spark of recognition

Blue eyes lifted in surprise as the front door came open and an older gentlemen stepped in, a bag slung over his shoulder.

“Simon!” Finn cried with a grin, alerting Jake from his half-asleep state. The dog lifted his head and Marshall’s hand fell from it, causing the dark-haired nymph to stir.

“Hello, Finn,” Simon greeted with a smile as Marceline and Fionna stepped inside, pulling the door shut after Cake had joined them. The man approached, pushing his glasses up his nose and taking a seat as the young boy stood and offered it to him. “This must be Marshall Lee. My, my…” His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he pulled the blankets back a bit and took note of the display of cuts and bruises. “These all look rather old…”

Marceline remained silent, her lips tight.

The man seemed to understand and didn’t push it, gently sitting Marshall up to unwrap the bandages so he could see how badly the poison had spread.

The young man let out a soft cry of panic, his light eyes drifting open but not really seeing.

“Marshall,” His sister called, reaching over and taking his hand gently in hers. His gaze drifted to her and his eyebrows knit together, almost like he recognized her voice. “It’s me, Marceline.”

“M…” The boy tried and Simon gently laid him back down, having removed the bandages.

“You’re safe,” She informed as she used her free hand to brush sweat-soaked hair from his forehead. “No one is going to hurt you again.”

Jake jumped back onto the bed and rested his head against Marshall’s leg once more, which seemed to calm the pale boy. The tension left his body and he gazed up at Simon with a dazed expression as the man frowned down at him.

“Not a moment too soon,” The dark-haired man stated as he reached into his bag and removed a vial with liquid inside of it. They watched as he took a leaf from a small box and poured some of the concoction onto it, before using the greenery like a bandage, placing it on top of the wound. “The leaf is from the rare firebird rose, which only grows in the flame kingdom. It is part of the potion and it helps to speed up the healing process, quite literally _burning_ away the infection.”

Marceline frowned, her hold on her brother’s hand weakening. Because of her, communication with the flame kingdom would be scarce, now… how many people would die because they couldn’t get that plant?

She tried not to let herself think about it as Marshall let out a pained hiss and reached for his chest. Fionna moved to grab his wrists only to gasp as she saw the bruises and scars on them. How had she missed those before, when she’d addressed his wounds the first time?

“Marceline…” The girl mumbled, heartbreak evident in her voice. Ignoring her for the moment, the dark-haired woman held her younger brother’s arms back as he tried to pull the antidote off of his body.

“It hurts now, but that means that it’s working,” Simon explained as he reached into his bag once more and removed a vial with what looked like spices inside of it. “If all goes well, the poison and any infection that comes with it should be cleared up by tomorrow evening.” He removed the top of the spice-bottle and held it under the dark-haired boy’s nose. With one intake of breath, Marshall was out. At Marceline’s concerned face, he quickly told her, “This just helps him sleep.”

They watched as the man returned his objects to his bag and motioned to Finn, who crossed the room and filled a bowl with water. The boy then came back with a rag and handed it to Marceline as Simon offered her his seat.

“Your bother will live, Marceline,” He informed with a gentle smile, placing an almost fatherly hand on top of her head as she looked up at him with wonder.

“Thank you,” The woman mumbled. She then turned and began to dab at the sleeping young man’s forehead with the cool cloth, not paying attention as Simon motioned for Fionna and stepped outside into the cold.

“Thank you again for helping, Simon,” the blonde thanked with a gentle smile as she pulled the door shut, turning to him. “We had no idea that it was so serious.”

“Fionna,” He sighed and her expression instantly dulled to a solemn one. “I’m sure you’ve come to the conclusion that I have.”

Slowly, the girl nodded. There was really no mistaking it, after all…Marceline’s sudden arrival, her brother’s beaten appearance, on top of the poison-tipped spear that could have only come from the palace guards…

At least one, if not both of them were escaped slaves from the castle. And from the state Marshall was in, there was no doubt that whoever had held him captive knew what he was and had reaped the benefits of his blood.

Would they be looking for him? They were fools to let him escape in the first place, so there was no doubt that they wouldn’t let it happen again.

“I told Marceline she could stay,” Fionna informed calmly, her eyes showing no room for debate. “And I don’t intend to take it back.”

Slowly, Simon nodded, before reaching out to place a gentle hand on top of her head, just as he had with Marceline. “Then just know that I will be praying for your safety, as well as theirs.”

They parted ways and the blonde-haired girl returned to her brother and guests, before she began to prepare a meal they could all enjoy together.

* * *

“She fell here. Then something picked her up and pulled her through the snow… this direction.”

The men around him gave nods, before following his orders to pan out in the direction he’d pointed. As the last of them disappeared, he turned and started in the opposite way, following the actual trail.

He didn’t need men to help him find this creature and it was ridiculous that his father had sent them with him. He had more experience hunting and tracking then the lot of them combined, as well as extra skills that they couldn’t even fathom having.

Making a sour expression, Aiden pushed a lock of ginger hair away from his freckled cheeks and golden eyes, before he pulled his charcoal-colored hood up over his head.

He didn’t quite believe his father’s tale about all that had gone on in the castle two days ago. Princess Bonnibel had not seemed the type to simply disregard him, even if she had always had that maid with her. And a tale of some girl turning into a giant bat… if he hadn’t seen a large creature flying from the palace with his own eyes, he would have dismissed the man as crazy.

Still, there was no point in going this far to hunt for the girl. If she had escaped, he doubted she was going to come to the flame kingdom, yet the man had kept insisting and so he’d finally given in.

Crouching down, he spotted a smear of red beneath a freshly fallen layer of snow. She hadn’t tried hard to cover her tracks and she was obviously wounded, so he doubted she had gone far. It was possible she had taken refuge in a cave nearby, or perhaps even a small village on the outskirts of the kingdom.

A flash of blue caught his attention seconds before an arrow flew inches from his face, lodging into a tree beside him.

The fire prince flew toward his attacker, slamming heavily into their body and pinning them toward the ground. A shabby wooden bow fell beside the two of them and he pulled a fist back, his free hand pulling the hood from the other’s features.

A surprised, round face gazed up at him, blue eyes wide. She was young, maybe seventeen, with blonde hair and a white cap over top of blonde hair. From the shocked expression, she had no doubt thought he was some sort of animal and moments later she confirmed that fact, crying, “Oh god, I didn’t realize you were-! I thought you were a _bear_ , dude! Jeeze!”

Tightening his lips, Aiden rolled off of her and stood, dusting the snow from his jacket in disgust. She climbed to her feet and retrieved her bow, slinging it back over her shoulder.

“Man, we’re finding all sorts of people in these woods lately,” She mumbled and he showed no sign of having heard her, while inwardly making note of her comment.

Had this girl found the demon? Perhaps she’d even taken it somewhere to get treated. If he played his cards right, it was possible the creature would be dropped right into his lap.

“What are you doing way out here?” The blonde inquired, eyeing him warily. Thankfully, he had chosen to remove any items that identified him as the crowned Prince of the flame kingdom before setting out on this little adventure. “These woods are dangerous.”

“I’m traveling,” The ginger-haired young man informed simply. It could have meant a wide variety of things… it was possible he was traveling through the mountain to go to the flame kingdom, to come from it, or any number of stops along the way.

“Jeeze, you look like you haven’t eaten in weeks!” She proclaimed, reaching forward and patting his hips with thick gloved fingers. “Come on, I’ll take you back to my place and get you some food for the trip.”

Inwardly, Aiden wondered what she meant by he looked like he hadn’t eaten. He was a perfectly healthy size for his body type, not to mention full of muscle. He supposed, however, that packing on a few extra pounds would be smart for this type of weather, which accounted for the girl’s slightly curvier body type (at least, from what he could tell under her heavy blue jacket).

She unknowingly lead him toward her home, where he could at the very least either follow the demon’s trail or question her about its appearance. As they walked, the blonde introduced herself as Fionna and he, in turn, simply stated that his name was Aiden.

Best not to let her know who he was, in case she knew that the creature was being followed.

* * *

The first thing he was aware of was the feeling of soft fur beneath his fingertips.

It was very hot in there and a heavy blanket was lying across his body, almost suffocating him. His breath was labored and strained, his chest constricted.

Oh, right. He’d been stabbed.

The pain came then and a groan left his lips, alerting whoever was in the room with him.

Suddenly a form was grabbing his hand (the one not touching the soft fur) and a voice was calling to him, just out of his line of focus.

“…- _shall? …-rshall? …-all? Marshall? Marshall!_ Marshall!”

With a deep intake of air, the young man forced his blue eyes open and tried hard to concentrate on the form before him.

After a few moments his vision began to clear and he found himself looking into the face of a young woman, maybe two or so years older than himself. She had long, dark hair, pulled into a lazy braid, and honey brown eyes. She was dressed in a heavy dark red coat with silver fur trim around the hood and a pair of leather gloves.

The most important thing about her, however, was how familiar she looked.

Now, having spent eleven years locked in the back of a closet, Marshall Lee did not know very many people. In fact, he had perhaps met a total of ten people in his life and that was really stretching it. So the fact that this girl looked so familiar, combined with her hair and eye color, meant only one thing.

“Mar…celine?” He called, only to frown. His own voice sounded foreign in his ears. Muted, almost, like he was weak or had fallen ill for some time.

A smile crossed the woman’s face and she reached out with both hands, cupping his cheeks. “Oh, thank god,” She whispered, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “I was worried you weren’t going to make it.”

A wave of ache crossed his body once more and Marshall was suddenly aware of his surroundings. With a hiss of pain, he attempted to sit up, taking note of the chill in the air, the wooden walls that surrounded him, and the heavy fur pelt that acted as a blanket over his nearly naked body.

What had happened? Oh, right… the Prince had pulled him from his cage and treated him like some sort of dinner guest, before he’d revealed that the king was dead. He’d panicked, then, worried that somehow the boy _knew_ , and he’d tried to run. Then the guards had stabbed him and the rest was a blur.

Eventually, the young man realized that the soft fur beneath his hand was not in fact the blanket covering him, but instead the head of a massive yellow dog that lay at his side, watching him with large brown eyes.

Slowly, his mind began to clear and the realization set in. But instead of worrying about having run away from captivity, instead he took in the most important fact.

“Marceline!”

His sister gasped as he suddenly flew into her open arms, before she let out a sob and wrapped him in her hold tightly, her fingers digging into his dark hair.

 _Safe_! She was safe! All these years and here she was, unharmed… He’d lived everyday thinking he would never see her again, but now she was in his arms and he didn’t want to ever let her go.

“It’s okay now, you’re safe,” The dark-haired woman informed, holding her younger brother as close as possible. His forehead, which was pressed against her neck, was still hot with fever, but it was much lower than it had been. He’d slept through another night with Fionna forcing her home-made broth down his throat, but as the next day crawled on her hope had slowly started to die.

But here he was, awake and in her grasp, clinging to her in return. She couldn’t stop the tears as they poured down her cheeks, dripping into his messy hair.

Finn was just starting to back out of the cabin when the door came open and Fionna stepped through, talking a mile a minute. “The fur on this is made of polar bear, but we don’t catch many of those around here oft-”

It happened so suddenly that she wasn’t quite sure how to react. One moment she was hugging her brother, the next a lanky boy with a head of flaming ginger hair was grabbing a fistful of her braid and yanking her backwards. Her legs tangled in the chair and she tried desperately to roll away from him, but his grip in her hair was tight and he yanked again, sending her crashing to the ground.

The wind was knocked from her lungs and she let out a loud gasp as his bony knees were pressed into her wrists and a short dagger was pressed against her throat.

“M-Marceline!” Fionna cried in confusion. Her bow was in her hands moments later, an arrow notched, and Finn was gripping his sword with his teeth bared.

The moment of shock wore off after a few seconds and Marceline’s dazed expression gave way to one of pure hatred. “ _Aiden_ ,” She sneered and he gave a soft snort, his golden eyes narrowed in just as much distain. “I suppose your _father_ sent you?”

“W-what’s going on?” Fionna whispered, the guilt evident in her voice.

“Fionna, meet Aiden, crowned Prince of the Flame Kingdom,” The dark-haired woman spat at the boy’s face and he sneered at her in response. “His father is the one that was hunting me.”

“Oh god, what have I done?” The blonde-haired girl wheezed, before she stiffened and pointed her arrow at the ginger haired boy’s head, her hands shaking. “Release her this instant!”

“Or what, you’ll shoot me? You’ll be killed for treason,” The Prince snorted, turning to glare up at her intensely.

“I’d do anything to protect my friends,” She snapped in reply. “I mean it, release her! Or dying will be the least of your worries!”

Before any more could be said, however, someone grabbed a fistful of Aiden’s flaming hair and threw him across the room, onto the bed where Marshall had once been.

“How do you like it!?” The dark-haired young man snapped, gripping at his shoulder with one hand while he stared intensely at the surprised young Prince.

The ginger stared for a few moments before he growled and leapt from the bed in one smooth motion, tackling Marshall onto the opposite mattress. “How dare you touch me, _slave_!”

“Go to hell!” The other boy sneered before he curled his lips back and let out a high-pitched hiss, his eyes darkening and his irises turning a deep, blood red.

Aiden gasped in surprise and jerked back, before he bared his own teeth in a deep growl. “Another demon!”

“They’re not demons!” Finn cut in, rushing forward with Jake at his side. The large dog leapt onto the bed and pushed his way between the Prince and Marshall, knocking the red-head off the bed. Aiden stumbled back a few steps as the blonde-haired boy moved in his pathway, his sword at the read. “They’re nymphs!” He continued, blue eyes intense with loyalty. “And they wouldn’t hurt anyone! They just wanted to be free, is that so hard to fathom!?”

Surprisingly, the Prince’s tense body relaxed and a look of shock crossed his face. “Nymphs?” He repeated, lowering his dagger. “You’re nymphs?”

“We are,” Marceline confirmed as she rose to her feet, her body tense. She took a defensive position as she began to inch toward Finn, intent on protecting Marshall. She could see by his stained bandages that his wound had opened back up. “And as he said, we only wanted our freedom. Your father was trying to have me beheaded and I had just learned of my brother’s imprisonment. All I wanted was to escape.”

“He said that you disrespected him,” Aiden informed, a conflicted look on his face.

“Well, he’s kind of an ass,” She replied with a shrug.

“Please,” Fionna cut in, her bow still at the ready, though her eyes were pleading. She wasn’t entirely sure just what had gone on inside of the castle walls, but it wasn’t the time for questions. “Just let them go. Tell your father she’s dead or something. I’m begging you!”

The Prince’s golden eyes lowered and he held up his hands, staring down at his dagger with a frown. Nmyphs… his mother had taught him from a young age that such creatures were to be respected and often times worshiped. They were responsible for the land, for the flourishing crops and crystal clear waters. He imagined she would weep in heaven if she had to see one slaughtered at her father’s command.

Before he could think further, however, they heard the sound of thundering footsteps approaching the cabin. Fionna turned and glanced out one of the windows, a hiss leaving her lips. “Flame kingdom guards…”

“They followed me here,” Aiden whispered, returning his dagger to its place at his hip. “They’re not going to believe that I came all this way if you’re dead. And they’ll try to take your brother, too.”

“We’ll fight them, then!” Finn declared, clenching his sword a little tighter and turning to leave. Fionna grabbed his arm quickly and frowned down at him, shaking her head. “What!?” The boy cried. “We can’t just let them take Marceline, we need to protect her!”

“No,” The dark-haired woman cut in, catching their attention. “You need to protect Marshall.”

“Marceline?” Fionna questioned, a deep frown crossing her features.

“Like he said…” The other girl whispered, defeat obvious in her voice. “They won’t believe I’m dead and if they realize he’s here, they’ll take him too… there’s only one solution.”

“No!” Marshall cried, trying to push Jake off of him so that he could sit up. “Marcy, please-!”

“I’ll go with you, Prince Aiden,” Marceline sighed, slowly reaching her hand out toward him.

The man seemed extremely torn and almost defeated, like he wanted it about as much as she did. He slowly nodded, however, and took her wrist instead of her hand, moving to pull her toward the door. “Make it look real.”

“Marcy, _no_!” The girl’s pale brother cried, finally managing to push Jake off and forcing himself off of the bed. “I only just got you back, you can’t leave!”

“Fionna, stop him,” The dark-haired woman begged and the blonde swallowed down a sob, moving to block Marshall. He tried to fight against her but the pain in his body and his fever both made him weak against her strong hold.

“Marcy!” He sobbed, tears streaking down his flushed face. “Please!”

Without another word, Marceline turned toward Aiden and gave him a numb nod. He responded with a nod of his own and moved to push open the door, dramatically dragging her from the cabin. She made a show of trying to fight him as her brother cried out for her, trying to break free of Fionna’s hold.

“Good job, your Majesty,” One of the guards awarded with an annoyed expression, obviously not liking that the Prince had gone off on his own. He gave Marceline a look of disgust and removed a pair of shackles from inside his shoulder bag, slapping them on her. “Now, let’s return to your father and get out of this blasted cold.”

As they began to walk away, dragging the nymph with them, Aiden spared a glance back to the cabin and looked into the sad eyes of Fionna as she stood in the doorway, before slowly pushing it shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Aiden" is the name I've given to Flame Prince. I choose this name because it means "little fire"


	6. My Kingdom For… The Look in His Eyes

“We have to save her.”

Fionna took in a deep breath, pressing one hand against her forehead, her eyebrows knitted in frustration. She could take it from Marshall Lee just fine and really, she had expected a fight… but coming from Finn was a whole different story.

The two boys were seated side by side in chairs, ropes holding them down, though knowing his brother he could easily escape from them. It had been her best attempt and keeping them from going after the guards, though to her surprise the dark-haired young man actually hadn’t tried. He seemed to understand to an extent that he was not in the right shape to be galloping off after an army of guards.

Finn, however, was different.

“She’s our friend, Fifi!” The boy cried, shaking his head wildly, tears in his bright blue eyes. “We can’t just… just _leave_ her to them! They’ll kill her!”

“Finn, we have no say against the fire King,” Fionna reminded, taking a seat across from them in another chair. “We don’t even _live_ in the flame kingdom. He wouldn’t listen to us if we tried.”

“But the Prince would, right!?” Her brother defended, his voice pleading. “I mean, you saw how he acted! He doesn’t want her head either! Let’s convince him!”

“No.”

Surprised, the two siblings turned to look at Marshall, who had an unreadable expression on his face.

“Marsh?” Finn inquired, his voice cracking with emotion. Why wouldn’t the other want to save his sister!?

“That’s not the Prince we need to talk to,” The dark-haired boy explained, his face suddenly set in determination.

Fionna looked surprised for a moment, before she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Prince Gumball?”

“Err… what?” The pale young man breathed, a dumb-struck look on his face.

“She means Burton,” Finn explained. “Why do you want to ask him?”

“Well, I figure a royal would have a better chance at convincing the Fire King that he’s wrong,” Marshall stated with a frown across his flushed face. He ignored Fionna as she reached over and touched his forehead with a _tsk tsk_ sound. “And he seemed like an okay guy. Maybe he’d help out?”

“We could try, but the Prince is being crowned like, tomorrow. He’s probably pretty busy,” She explained as she stood and crossed the room, grabbing a vial of liquid. Before he could fathom what she was doing, the blonde haired girl was in front of him, her blue eyes intense. “Open up.”

“Wha-?” Marshall started, only to gasp as Fionna grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. “Ow-!” Suddenly the girl was pouring the liquid into his mouth and as the foul taste hit his tongue, he began to cough and choke. “W-what the hell, Fionna!?”

“Told you that medicine stuff tastes bad, man,” Finn reminded, shrugging the ropes tied around him off like they were just for show. His sister huffed in annoyance and he reached out to undo Marshall’s. “This whole Gumball thing seems like the best bet to me. At the very least, his sister might help us. She seems like a cool girl.”

“I don’t think the Fire King will listen to a girl any more then he’ll listen to us,” His sister replied, before her cheeks suddenly lit up. “I mean-! I _am_ a girl, I just meant-! He won’t listen to the _Princess_ any more than us _because_ she’s a girl! I’m a girl too!”

“You seem awfully defensive about that,” Marshall pointed out, rolling his tongue along his teeth in an attempt to get the taste off of it.

“S-shut up!” The blonde cried, her entire face red. “Jerk.”

* * *

The main city was quite a ways away, but one quick trip to Simon’s later and they were all scrunched together on a horse, Cake around Fionna’s shoulders and Jake running alongside.

“We’re totes lucky you’re tiny, man,” Finn told Marshall, who puffed up his cheeks in protest, but said nothing.

Only a few hours later they were slowing down outside of the main city and Finn hopped down, helping the other two from the horse’s back.

“I’ll go take Gunter to the stables, you guys wait here,” Fionna told them, a serious look in her eyes as she pointed at each of them in turn. “I _mean_ it.”

“Yes ma’am,” Her brother quickly said, lifting one hand up in a mock-salute. As she walked away he let out a hum and began to look around, only to spot Jake as the dog walked up to a nearby building. “What’cha find there, boy?”

Marshall followed behind Finn as the boy approached the wall, only to jump in surprise as his companion let out a shriek.

“God, man!” The boy yelled, quickly grabbing the dark-haired man and pushing him behind a large trash bin.

“W-what the hell?” The nymph gasped, only to be silenced by a quick hand to his mouth.

“Dude, there’s a _wanted_ poster of you,” The blonde explained in a hushed voice, before he looked around nervously. “Says you’re super dangerous, man. We can’t have you just like, walk up to the castle!”

The other’s pale blue eyes went wide and he tilted his head, glancing around the garbage bin and spotting a sketch of himself pasted to the wall. He let out a hiss of frustration and glanced up as Fionna approached.

“Wait here,” Finn told him, removing his hand and moving to go explain the situation to his sister.

Watching them for a few moments, Marshall let his eyes drift up to the castle, looming high above the city. His mind drifted away for a moment, thinking about all of those years he’d spent cooped up inside of those walls, chained and used…

Then Fionna snapped in his face and he jumped, turning to look at her.

“Nymphs can turn invisible, right?” She inquired and his eyebrows shot up. “That’s what my father’s book said.”

“I never figured out that ability,” He admitted almost shyly, a frown on his features that matched her own after a moment. “And I didn’t have anyone around that could teach me. The only thing I can really do is transform into a bat- Oh!”

The blonde haired girl looked extremely surprised as the young man in front of her slowly began to shrink until his form was just slightly larger than a normal bat’s would be, his wings tattered and his body fluffy. After a moment she grinned and cried out, “Perfect!” The creature gasped out in alarm as she unbuttoned the front of her jacket and roughly shoved him inside, closing it moments later.

Cake made a noise of distaste, but Fionna ignored her, giving Finn a nod. He returned it and called to Jake, making his way toward the castle.

* * *

Queen Honey was beside herself with nerves. Her only son would take on the role of King the following morning and she knew he had changes in mind… changes that the people of the Kingdom might not like. The Nobles would protest, she was more than certain, yet the boy seemed determined to go against his father’s ruling and make alterations to the ways of his land.

She wasn’t sure what was going to come of his choices, but she feared he would have to deal with his father’s, as well.

The man had dabbled in the magic of nymph’s blood for years, day after day drinking from that boy, sealing his own protection with the gift of fortune. But now that magic was gone and the repercussions of his choices were falling on Burton’s shoulders. She feared he would be crushed under the weight.

While she had been honest in telling her children that she did not condone what her late husband had done to that boy, she had kept a bit of truth from them. In actuality, the entire reason she had told her son about the nymph was because she’d hoped that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and reap the benefits of the boy’s blood. (Not that she wanted Burton to do the _other_ things her husband had done, of course.)

But it had all gone downhill and now the boy with the magic blood was gone and her son was facing the consequences of his father’s negative choices without any help on his side.

“Your Majesty, Queen Honey.”

Lifting her eyes, the woman turned to look as a guard stepped in, giving her a gentle bow. His name was Musa Acuminata, but most everyone just called him Mu, and he was the head guard and the captain of the military forces. His blonde hair was chin-length beneath a golden helmet and his dress matched the metal surrounding his face.

“There is a girl here to see you,” He explained, a look of confusion on his face. “She claims that she knew the King’s sister.”

Red eyebrows shot up and the woman quickly moved to her feet and followed his brisk pace as he led her to the castle’s entrance. A few more members of the royal guard were standing beside a young woman and a teenage boy, a large yellow dog at his side and a spotted white cat around her neck.

One glance at the girl and Honey’s heart fluttered. She quickly pushed past the guards and wrapped her arms around the woman with a cry of, “My darling Fionna!”

“Aunt Honey!” Fionna gasped as she was squeezed. A high-pitched squeak came from somewhere on her person and the Queen jumped back in surprise as a small, dark-furred creature popped its face out of the blue jacket wrapped around the teen’s shoulders.

“Oh, my,” The redheaded woman breathed, before a frown crossed her face. She lifted her eyes to the girl’s and let out a slow whisper of, “Perhaps we should speak privately.”

“I think that would be best,” The blonde agreed, reaching down to push the bat-like form back into her jacket with a _shush_.

* * *

“Finn, this is your aunt Honey.”

The blonde-haired boy looked extremely uncomfortable as he took a seat in the plush sitting room, looking around. His rather large dog was sniffing all over, knocking things down, as the boy tried to scrub at his dirt-stained face with a nervous look.

“She’s our uncle’s wife,” Fionna explained as she unbuttoned her jacket and released the bat creature, which tumbled into her lap. Immediately, the Queen noticed that it seemed to be in very bad shape, panting heavily and only able to weakly lift its body up. “Aunt Honey, this is my little brother, Finn. He wasn’t born when I last saw you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Finn,” Honey told him softly, though her eyes were boring into the bat as her niece gently reached down to stroke its tiny back. “And this must be… Marceline?”

“Actually…” Her eyebrows shot up as the words left the creature, before its form began to grow and take shape. Not long after, a small young man with dark-hair was standing before her, his body dressed in a heavy jacket which did little to hide the bruising around his throat and the scratches on his wrists and hands. “My name is Marshall Lee. It’s an honor to meet you, your Majesty.” Out of respect, the boy bowed lowly and Honey immediately noticed how tense he looked.

“You’ve returned here, despite being fully aware of the chances you could be enslaved again?” The Queen inquired in surprise and he stood uncomfortably at Fionna’s side, his eyes downcast. The boy gave a single nod and she could have sworn she saw the light in his eyes starting to die. No doubt the memories of his years spent inside of these walls were beginning to surface. “Why have you returned, then?”

“I wish to speak to the Prince,” Marshall explained and Fionna reached out to take his hand, tugging him down onto the sofa beside her. Although he sat without a fight, he looked as if he were trying to hover in the chair and not touch its finely crafted surface, his shoulders stiff.

“The Prince is quite busy at the moment, preparing to take over the crown,” She informed, her throat tight. What did this boy want with her son? Was he going to ask for his freedom, or perhaps the freedom of his sister? Or was it something more sinister…?

“With all due respect, your majesty…” He breathed and slowly he lifted his pale blue eyes. They were intense and cold, seeming like ice as he gazed at her with such pure hatred, it was if she’d been the one to mistreat him all those years. “I don’t give a damn.”

“Excuse me?” Honey breathed and Fionna looked to her dark-haired friend nervously.

“Now, either you’re going to retrieve your son, or I will find him myself,” Marshall stated, his fists clenched at his sides. She could tell that he was all talk, the confidence boasting from him nothing more than a show. It was obvious he was terrified, but running on pure hatred. “I think you owe me, don’t you agree?”

Her eye brows shot up and she stared at the person before her silently.

It was as if she was seeing him for the first time, exactly for who he was. Not some little creature her husband had kept in the back of his closet… but a young boy – a young _man_ – who had endured eleven years of torture because she hadn’t had the decency to set him free. She had allowed a small child to be abused and raped because she was a coward and he had every right to hate her for it.

The least she could do was answer his simple request.

Fionna’s face was unreadable as the Queen gave a solemn nod and stood, leaving the room without a word. After the redheaded woman had gone, she slowly turned to look at the dark-haired form beside her, features softening to a look of worry and confusion. “Marshall?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” The dark-haired man mumbled, his head tilted downward, dark bangs hanging in his eyes.

With a deep frown, the blonde reached for him, only to stop as the door came open and two heads full of strawberry blonde hair came rushing in.

“Marshall Lee!” Prince Burton cried, nearly falling onto his knees in front of the nymph, who looked up at him in surprise. “Oh, thank god you’re alright!”

“W-what?” Marshall gaped, cringing a bit as the other reached out and touched his forehead.

“You’re burning up,” The Prince whispered, looking horrified. “We need to get you to the medic!”

Fionna stared at the two of them in confusion as the dark-haired young man smacked the other’s hands away like they were old friends.

“There’s no time for that!” He protested, a look of frustration on his flushed face. “That jerk from the Flame Kingdom took Marceline!”

“What!?” It was Bonnibel that spoke up, surprising Fionna. The young woman rushed forward, nearly shoving her brother aside and reaching down. Finn gasped as she grabbed a fistful of Marshall’s shirt and hauled him to his feet. “Where is she!?”

“W-what the hell?” The pale boy gasped, cringing beneath her furious glare.

“Bubblegum, please!” The blonde-haired girl cut in, standing up and grabbing her cousin’s hands. Bonnibel turned to look at her, as if seeing her for the first time. “The Prince from the Flame Kingdom took her. He didn’t want to, though!”

“We think they’re taking her back to their kingdom,” Finn explained and the royal siblings turned to look at him, twin looks of confusion on their faces.

“Did you just call her Bubblegum?” Marshall mumbled quietly, but was ignored.

“Alright, everyone needs to calm down,” Burton cut in, holding up his hands. His sister shot him a glare and he returned it with an even look, motioning for her to sit. With a huff, the younger sibling fell into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. After a moment, the crowned Prince sat beside her, looking alarmed as Jake came over to him and set his massive head in his lap. “Errr…”

“That’s Jake,” Finn explained, as if it answered everything.

“…Right,” The strawberry-blonde haired man breathed, before he turned to look at Marshall Lee and Fionna. “When did they take Marceline? What exactly happened?”

“Finn, my brother, found Marceline and Marshall in the woods a couple of days ago,” Fionna began, motioning to her sibling, who grinned as the Princess turned to look at him. “Marcy had a few small wounds but Marshall was very ill, so we nursed him back to health. This morning I stumbled across Aiden, the Flame Prince, and brought him to my place.”

“He tried to kick Marcy’s butt, but then I explained that she and Marsh aren’t demons,” Finn continued, patting his palms together to catch the attention of Jake, who simply ignored him and stood on his hind legs, his front paws in the Prince’s lap. Burton backed nervously away from the dog, a look of unease on his face. “I told him that they’re nymphs and he went all like, soft and whatever.”

“I asked him to just let Marceline go and just as he was about to do it, his guards showed up,” Fionna picked up as she reached over and grabbed Jake’s collar, pulling him off of her cousin. “Marceline went with him willingly to get him away from Marshall.”

“We came here to see if you could speak to them and get them to let her go,” Marshall finished, his shoulders tense once more as he eyed the royal siblings.

“Of course we can!” Bonnibel cried in alarm, grasping at the front of her bodice, over her heart. When her brother made no move to respond, she turned to frown at him. “ _Right_ , Bubba?”

“Bubba?” Finn mumbled, only to be ignored.

“Bonnie…” The Prince sighed, looking defeated. “I can’t just go off to the flame Kingdom… I’m being crowned _tomorrow_. The kingdom is at least a two day’s ride from here and that’s on Mocro. I can’t just neglect my duties… how would that look to my people, disappearing the day before my crowning to go run off after a slave?”

No one was expecting the sudden _smack!_ that came as a fist flew through the air and connected with the strawberry blonde’s face, nearly sending him flying from his chair. Burton wheezed in alarm and looked up, finding himself staring into the intensely dark eyes of Marshall Lee, the deep red irises flaming with pure hatred.

Silence fell between the two of them and the others in the room were forgotten for the moment. Reflected in those enraged eyes, the Prince saw not his own face, but the face of someone he did not like. How could he have spoken those words? Yes, his people would dislike his choice… but Marceline wasn’t a _slave_. She was his sister’s best friend.

“I’m so sorry…” He whispered and Marshall took a seat once more, seemingly too exhausted to be on his feet. “There is no excuse for what I’ve said. Marceline is… she is no slave.” He shook his head, finally catching the wounded look on his sister’s face. “She is a friend above all else as well as a resident of this castle and this kingdom. To have taken her is a direct declaration of hostility and will not be taken lightly.”

“You’re dang right it won’t,” Bonnibel hissed, her voice sounding almost insane as she gazed upon her brother, eyes alight with rage. “So let’s go get her back!”

“Bubblegum, I don’t think it’s wise if you-” Fionna began only to fall silent as her cousin shot a look of daggers her way. “Errr… right, so. If we take the mountain path, we should be able to pretty much beat them there.”

“The mountain path?” Burton inquired in surprise. “That path is dangerous! There’s bears, cougars…”

“We have a giant bat,” Finn reminded, motioning to Marhall, who’s eyebrows lifted.

“Nuh-uh,” Fionna huffed. “No giant bat-ting. You’re still really sick, remember? You need to take it easy, dude.”

“Easy, shmeezy,” The dark-haired man stated, waving her off. “I’ve got no time for that.”

“Why are we just sitting around talking!?” Bonnibel suddenly snapped and the other four occupants looked to her in surprise. “Let’s get _moving_!” She stood in one quick motion and stormed from the room, leaving her cousins, brother, and companion staring after her in surprise.

“Uhh…” Finn breathed, but offered nothing more.

After a small moment of silence, Marshall piped, “…Someone wanna explain to me the whole Bubblegum thing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Musa Acuminata is the scientific term for a Banana. Thus, the head guard is a “Banana” guard.
> 
> -In case it isn’t clear, Fionna is the King’s niece. Her mother was his sister. She and Finn are Bonnibel and Bubba’s cousins.


	7. My kingdom For... The People Who Suffer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Caramelo" is the name I've given to the kingdom Bonnibel and Bubba rule.

Mo-Cro was a large black horse with a flowing white mane. He was extremely sturdy and large, big enough to fit three people on, although he was only supporting two for the moment. His companion was a smaller mare named Lady Rainicorn, who had flowing white hair and a pale yellow body. The third horse was Charlie, who was smaller than the previous two, with a similar coloration as ‘Lady’, but a slightly darker coat.

Bubba (as they had learned Burton preferred to be called) had insisted they pack some things as it was still a very long ride, even if they cut through the mountains. He’d ignored his mother’s ranting as they gathered some food and medical supplies, his back stiff and his face determined.

Marshall was seated behind him on Mo-Cro, arms wrapped around his waist, as he followed Fionna’s lead through the tiny trail. The girl was atop Charlie, her brother behind her with his faithful dog somehow staying pressed between them. Bringing up the rear was Bonnibel on Lady, dressed in some of her brother’s clothing from his youth. It hung loosely on her small body, but she’d bundled up in a large champagne colored jacket to cross the snow-covered terrain.

They’d been riding well into the night and the sun was just beginning to rise in front of them. Marshall had long since fallen into a restless sleep against Bubba’s back and the Princess was looking worse for the wear, yet determined to go on.

“I think we should stop and rest,” Fionna finally sighed and Finn gave a small huff in response, reaching up to rub at his tired eyes.

“No!” Bonnibel cried, seeming to snap awake from her exhausted state. “Every moment we spend sleeping is a moment she could be hurt!”

“Bon, if we show up there completely worn out, we’re not going to do her much good,” The blonde-haired girl reminded gently, earning a frown from her older cousin. “What if a fight breaks out and we haven’t slept, huh?”

“Plus, Marshall is still burning up,” Bubba cut in, glancing over his shoulder at the dark-haired boy that still fitfully rested against him. “He needs some rest.”

“Really?” Fionna breathed, pulling Charlie to a stop, effectively stopping the two horses behind hers. She nudged the mare and they turned so that she could look back with more ease. “Simon said he should be better by now.”

“Let’s get the campsite situated,” The Prince sighed and carefully he lowered Marshall into Fionna’s arms after she had dismounted her steed.

Not long after they were all seated around a small fire that Finn had built, Marshall curled up against Bubba under a blanket for warmth. The dark-haired man had regained consciousness only momentarily before falling back into his broken sleep.

After some time in silence, Fionna swallowed down a small bite of her bread and asked, “What exactly happened with him?”

“Excuse me?” Bubba replied, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. He did not know his cousin very well and he hadn’t seen her in many, many years, but he hadn’t expected her to be so… straightforward. “I had assumed you’d been told the entire story.”

“Well, I haven’t,” The blonde informed as Finn chewed his food messily, eyeing the two of them.

“Actually, I haven’t either,” Bonnibel cut in as she rummaged through the medical bag, taking note of everything they had. “So I’d appreciate an explanation, too.”

The elder sibling sucked in a heavy breath and glanced at Finn. “I suppose you’re with them?”

“Nah man, a dude’s business is his own,” The teenager shrugged, before he leaned back to gaze up through the trees.

Hoping the boy’s words would deter the inquiring young women, Bubba was soon disappointed and gave a heavy sigh as their eyes bore into him. “Alright, alright…” He mumbled, shifting Marshall against himself and putting an arm around the boy’s shoulders. “But there are some things that will remain his secrets to tell, understand?” They both nodded and he turned to gaze down at the young man slumbering at his side.

Slowly, the Prince explained that he had found Marshall captive in his father’s room. He stated that the man had been holding the nymph there for some time in order to drink his blood, but he did not mention anything more about it than that. The young man then went on to tell about Marshall’s reaction to the King’s death and finally Marceline’s escape.

“That must have been when I found her,” Fionna mumbled, looking down at her lap. She had no idea that Marshall and his sister had been through so much. “Finn and I treated him and even got him an antidote for the poison from your guard’s spear, but his fever hasn’t broken yet…”

“Well, if what my brother says is true and he’s been locking up for all that time,” Bonnibel cut in, lifting her head from where it was nearly buried in the large bag of medicine. “Then his immune system is inadequate. Being out here in a world full of germs he’s never been around, he could have caught any number of things.”

Bubba’s eyebrows shot up and he pulled Marshall Lee a little closer to himself, burring one hand into the boy’s hair. “Do you have anything that can help him, Bonnie?”

“To be honest, what he really needs is a doctor,” The younger royal sighed. “I couldn’t tell you for the life of me what he’s got or what you can use to cure it.”

Her brother’s shoulders stiffened and his features became blank. “Who are you?” He asked almost coldly and she seemed surprised for a moment. “The Bonnie I knew only a little while ago knew anything about everything and was always looking to solve a mystery. Who is this girl that’s so willing to just… give up?”

Bonnibel stared at him, completely awestruck. For a few moments she just sat there, mouth parted slightly, eyes full of emotion. It was almost as if he’d told her something about herself that she wasn’t aware of… like a whole new world had been opened up before her eyes.

“Just something to think about,” Bubba breathed, before he pulled the blanket tighter over Marshall and turned to gaze into the make-shift fire before them.

Eventually they settled into sleep, Marshall curled into Bubba’s sleeping bag while Fionna, Bonnibel, and Finn all scrunched together in a slightly larger one.

As the daylight stretched on into mid-day, however, the Princess found she couldn’t sleep. Worry kept clawing away at her mind, telling her that Marceline was being tortured as they laid there, doing nothing… and even worse, that the girl would spend her last moments hating the strawberry-blonde haired girl.

How could she have tossed the dark-haired woman aside like that? Yes, trade with the Flame Kingdom was important… but she could have at least _tried_ to fight for her best friend’s place within it. But she’d just given up… just surrendered, instead of stepping up to battle.

On top of that, Bubba was completely right… she _had_ lost herself. Years ago all she’d wanted was to study medical cures and maybe even find a wizard to teach her more about potions, but somewhere along the way she’d gotten caught up in her duties. There was never time for exploring anymore… and there was never time for Marceline.

With a heavy sigh, the girl pulled herself from the sleeping bag carefully, thankfully not rousing either of her cousins.

When was the last time she’d bothered to ask her friend about her day, or even ask her about how she was feeling? How long had it been since they’d spent a night just talking, or playing with each other’s hair? Had she really spent all this time ignoring the one person she cared for more than anyone else in the world and why on earth had it taken her so long to realize it?

Approaching the other side of the lazily smoking fire, Bonnibel slowly crouched down and rested a soft hand against Marshall Lee’s forehead.

The least she could do for Marceline after spending so long neglecting her was care for her sick brother. Without it, it was possible he would not survive and it would break the dark-haired nymph’s heart.

She really didn’t need her heart broken a second time.

* * *

The group had awoken to a very busy Princess, hustling about the campsite, whispering to herself a mile a minute. As Fionna and Finn groggily came to, Bubba found himself smiling and silently wondering how his sister had managed to get Marshall out of their shared sleeping sack without waking him.

The young Nymph was leaning up against a tree, the snow around him cleared and a heavy blanket wrapped around his shoulder. Clenched in his fingertips was a cup of what looked to be steaming broth and he was sipping it carefully, eyeing Bonnibel as she walked around.

“Ice berries will be very beneficial,” She was saying and her brother noticed she had a small book in her hold, flipping through the pages with ungloved hands. She must have packed it with her in her bag. “As their name suggests, they are often used for lowering body temperature. They’ve been the downfall of many travelers who venture through the mountains as more than two at a time can cause frostbite, illness, and often instant death…”

“Good morning, Bonnie,” The Prince addressed, catching the attention of Marshall. His sister, however, completely disregarded him without so much as a wave in his direction. “How long has she been up?”

“As far as I can tell, she never slept,” The dark-haired man replied, before sipping at his broth. “She woke me up some time ago to get me out of your bag and then some time later, woke me again to give me this stuff.” He held up the cup. “It’s actually helping a lot.”

“Here, eat these,” The strawberry-blonde woman cut in, before literally stuffing two berries into Marshall Lee’s mouth. He sputtered for a moment and shot a glare her way as she touched his forehead and nodded to herself. “Good, good… Marshall, how is your appetite?”

“I’m not hungry,” The nymph replied, before he sipped the broth with a sour expression.

“Not good!” Bonnibel shrieked, alerting Cake, who yowled from her place inside of Fionna and Finn’s sleeping bag. “You should be starving! When was the last time you ate!?”

With an annoyed expression, Marshall hugged the blanket closer to himself. “I’m used to not eating, Your Highness.”

Silence followed his words for a few moments, extending on uncomfortably between the five companions. Finally, Finn broke it, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. “So, when we headed out?” He asked.

“As soon as Bonnie gives us the oka…” Bubba started, only to look on in surprise as his sister began to quickly gather her things and literally throw them onto a startled Lady. “Uh… well, I guess that settles that.”

* * *

The people on the streets slowly began wandering up, confused looks on their starved and exhausted faces. The kingdom had long since begun to fall to ruin, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer… yet the mad King still ruled with an iron fist, slaughtering innocents for crimes they were not guilty of and taking money from people who did not have it to give.

Many of them had tried to flee for the neighboring country to the west, only to find that the roads were blocked by Flame Kingdom scouters who would shoot them dead on sight. The path over the mountains to the west was just as rough and it seemed even fewer made it through alive.

The man’s absence as he visited the Princess of Caramelo was a blessing, but that morning he had returned and called for a gathering of his people. They were forced to come from miles around and hover around the main courtyard outside his massive palace, where a large wooden stage had been placed.

Just as the last of them began to straggle in, the man appeared from behind closed doors, a stern expression on his unforgiving features. The people cowered as he came forward, behind him a row of guards and yet another prisoner, a black bag over her head.

As they ascended the platform, the King addressed his unloved people, grabbing the arm of the woman beside him.

“People of the Flame Kingdom!” He called, voice booming loud enough that they all could hear. “I give you… a _demon_!”

Gasps left the crowd as the bag was removed to reveal nothing more than a young woman, bruises along her face and arms. She was dressed in a dark, heavy winter coat and leggings beneath a red skirt and thick boots. In the flaming heat of the city, she must have been burning alive, but the King obviously cared little for that fact.

“The Kingdom of Caramelo disregards our requests for peace!” The ginger-haired man cried, shoving the woman forward. Her knees hit a large stone block and she fell, long black hair falling around her like a cascade of ink. “Instead, they send a _demon_ to kill your leader!”

She certainly did not look like a demon, but none of the people present would speak that aloud. It was obvious the woman before them was to be executed and to try and defend her would be a plea for death as well. Still, they couldn’t help but feel the ache as she lowered her head, completely defeated… accepting her fate.

“Liar!”

Gasps fell across the crowd as a large, dark horse approached with three riders upon its back. The people began to weep, some from fear and some from joy, as they recognized the Prince and Princess of Caramelo, a dark-haired young man between them.

“That woman is no demon!” Prince Burton declared, his shoulders stiff and his features stern. The Fire King growled out in disgust and the woman lifted her head, both fear and hope in her eyes. “She is the Princess’ lady-in-waiting!”

Shocked faces met his declaration and the crowd began to look between their King and this defiant Prince who dared stand up to him.

“He speaks the truth!” The Princess called, grasping a bit tighter onto the dark-haired young man between she and her brother. “She is a member of our royal house and to threaten her is to declare war on our nation!”

Tension filled the scene and the people began to back away. War? They did not want a war! Surely their King would not allow that to happen… mad as he was, he must have realized that Caramelo’s armies were four times the size of theirs. They would no doubt lose if such a thing were to happen!

The man, however, let out a hiss and grabbed hold of the dark-haired woman, shoving her behind himself. “So be it!” He sneered, before pointing one thick finger at the three figures atop the steed. “Cease them!”

Chaos began to break out and the people cried out in horror, trying to run. Prince Burton’s horse reared back and he turned, making for the exit of the courtyard, only to be stopped as the gates were slammed shut. His sister let out a cry of alarm as she was torn from his horse and moments later the boy behind him followed, pinned to the ground like a common prisoner would be.

“Take them to the dungeon!” The Fire King cried with a satisfied grin across his aging face as he watched his guards grab Prince Burton and pull him from his stallion. “Show them to luxury!”

Mad… he really had gone mad.

* * *

Bonnibel had been split apart from them long before they’d been thrown into their prison cell. They weren’t entirely sure what had happened to her but it was one of the least of their worries, at that moment.

Marshall had placed himself a back corner, his arms wrapped tightly around his bent legs as he numbly watched his companion pace back and forth. Bubba was tense, his fists clenched and his eyebrows knitted.

“War…” He mumbled. “I can’t believe he would go to war over this… is he insane? And to imprison the crowned Prince of another kingdom? What is that man thinking?”

With a heavy sigh, the dark-haired man leaned his head back and watched as the other continued to pace.

“If my father were here, he’d have his head,” Bubba continued, clenching his teeth and narrowing his eyes, although he looked at nothing in particular. “He was an unstoppable force, no one could be his downfall. He would have stopped the Fire King before it even came to this point! He was-”

The older man stopped suddenly, one foot lifted to take another step. His frustrated expression gave way to one of guilt as he slowly turned to gaze at the pale boy he shared the prison cell with.

“He was using magic blood to cheat his way through life?” Marshall Lee offered up with a tense shrug.

Giving a heavy sigh, the crowned Prince came to sit beside the small form, his head downcast. “I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.”

“I think we have bigger things to worry about at the moment,” Came the response as Marshall stared openly at the guard beside their cell, his back to them. “How do you propose we get out of this mess?”

“The only thing I can think to do is reason with him,” Bubba sighed, leaning his head back against the damp wall.

He drifted into thought after these words. Reasoning with the man hadn’t worked thus far, so why would he assume it would this time? The Fire King was obviously mad, but there was no way to dethrone him without causing an uproar… unless-! Of course! Unless he could convince the man’s son to overthrow his father!

The Flame Prince was young, but there was no doubt that his ruling would be better than the King’s. Even if he were to be a sovereign like Bubba’s father, it had to be better than the current one the Fire Kingdom housed.

Just as he was about to explain his plan to Marshall Lee, the dark haired man let out a soft mumble of, “I killed your dad.”

Silence fell between them.

The strawberry blonde had to assume that his companion was not fond of silence and had been lost in his own train of destructive, dark thoughts as he himself had been thinking of their solution. Where he’d come up with such a thing, however, was beyond the older man’s comprehension.

“Excuse me?” Bubba managed to ask after a moment, confusion evident in his face.

Clear blue eyes lifted to meet his own, full of guilt and distain.

“Your dad,” Marshall explained, seeing nothing but wonder on the Prince’s face. “I killed him.”

The Prince must have been dumbstruck all over again because he fell silent for a few moments more before offering, “Explain?”

With a heavy sigh, Marshall dropped his forehead against his bent knees, letting his eyes slip closed.

“We’d made a deal when I was younger,” He started, wondering if the young man beside him would come to forgive him in time. “I said I wouldn’t fight him if he kept my sister safe. He agreed and I’d always assumed he had kept his word, but…” Slowly he reached down, tugging at a loose thread on his light shoes as if to keep his hands busy. “I don’t know, it wasn’t that long ago… or maybe it was, I can’t really tell. But, uh…”

An awkward moment burst between them and the Prince slowly reached out, placing a gentle hand on the other’s shoulders. He could only imagine how hard it was to speak of such things, especially with someone he didn’t really know.

“Thanks, man,” Marshall offered, even if he tensed beneath the touches. “Well, we uh… After we’d do _stuff_ he’d just conk out for a few hours and leave me by myself. Most of the time I just sat around and stared at shit but that day I… well, I heard my sister’s name outside his door.”

Bubba’s eyebrows lifted. Bonnibel’s room was not far from their father’s, so it wasn’t unfathomable that she’d be speaking to Marceline in the hallway.

“I went and checked it out,” The dark-haired boy explained, lowering his face even more, his stringy black hair covering his features. “And I, well… I saw her.” He fell silent for a few moments, taking in a deep breath. “She was dressed up like a maid and hanging around with your sister and I was _pissed_ , man. I mean, I was really naïve to think that he’d have kept his word all those years, but… I just kind of _lost_ it.”

Deciding it was best not to mention that Marshall had a habit of losing it when it came to his father, the older boy squeezed his companion’s shoulder lightly, urging him to go on.

“I knew about the blood thing and how too much could be poisonous,” Marshall mumbled, his fingers digging into the loose fabric of his pants. “My parents had explained it when I was young as a defense mechanism… so while he was still sleeping I…” Slowly, he lifted up his right hand and Bubba suddenly noticed a slowly healing bite mark right beneath his thumb, across the palm and the back of his hand. “I poured it into his mouth, then I locked myself back up in the closet and sometime later, you showed up.”

Before Bubba even had a small moment to think about what he’d just been told, the dark-haired boy let out a sudden cry of, _oh my god, I’m so stupid!_ before lifting his unmarked hand to his lips and biting down. The Prince wheezed out a horrified gasp and jerked backwards, into the wall, as the blood-covered fingers came forward and pressed against his mouth.

Time stopped instantly around him as the taste hit his tongue. It was like sweet nectar, the most amazing thing he’d tasted in his life, yet it left a bad flavor in his mouth. Around him, he could see instances of various things happening, things that somehow he knew hadn’t yet come to pass. There were people he knew and people he’d never met, interacting and changing the flow of reality.

What was supposed to happen gave way to what would happen anew as fortune shined upon him, casting its wave of protection upon his form. Shielding him from anything negative, for however long it was going to last.

Then Marshall was pulling away as someone was calling out to the guard, catching his attention. The man turned suddenly and slipped down the hallway, a ring of keys coming unhooked from his belt and falling to the floor beside their cage.

Offering no words to explain his actions, the dark-haired young man moved over to the bars and scooped up the key, unlocking the door in one swift motion.

They said nothing else as they left to find his sister.


	8. My Kingdom For… The Chance to See You Again

Fionna and her brother had stayed behind, just outside of the courtyard’s walls, in case something went wrong. She had promised her cousin that if something were to happen she would return to the Kingdom of Caramelo and inform the Queen… but she wasn’t always the kind of girl who kept her word.

As soon as the riot began inside of the courtyard she and Finn had disappeared into a small waterway that led up to the castle. Cake, though she’d protested, had slipped inside the small opening and popped open the latch, allowing them entrance.

Along the way, they’d come to a fork with three separate directions. One lead to an area blocked by a large metal grate, while the other two seemed to be long, darkened tunnels.

“You go forward, I’ll take the right,” Finn informed as his sister scooped up her cat and placed her in her usual spot around her neck. “Be careful.”

“You too,” Fionna replied, before taking off full-speed down her path.

It was nearly too dark to see but at some point she reached an area with a small opening above her, bars covering it. It appeared there was a small dungeon overhead, water leaking down its walls and into the pathway she inhabited.

Judging the distance for a moment, the girl let out a huff and shrugged off her large jacket, which she’d tied around her waist. She loved it dearly, but it was extremely heavy and with its weight holding her down, there was certainly no way she would be able to make the jump.

Just as she was crouching down to pounce, a pair of boots crossed the grate, causing her to freeze in her place. Eyes narrowing, the blonde tried to peer through the darkness to see if the person above her was someone she could take.

She spotted a thin form with a good sized chest and strawberry blonde hair. The Princess! With a gasp, Fionna curled up her lips and let out a soft whistle, hoping to catch the girl’s attention.

After a few moments, Bonnibel knelt down and peered into the waterway below her. She looked surprised, before relief flooded her features. “Fionna!”

“Brace yourself, Bubbles, I’m coming up,” The blonde informed, before she took her crouched position once again. Taking in a deep breath, the girl forced her legs to spring and flew through the air. Her fingers wrapped skillfully around the metal wiring of the grate and the heels of her shoes gripped into them as well, leaving her suspended from the object like a sloth hanging from a tree.

“I’m not sure it will come of- Oh,” The Princess breathed in surprise as her cousin gave a small tug and the object came loose. Quickly, Fionna slipped a hand beneath it and the other girl grabbed hold, hauling her up. The grate gave way as she did, falling past the blonde girl and into the waterway, landing heavily against the cement with a loud sound.

“Man, that could have been me,” Fionna mumbled, before she sized up her surroundings.

Bonnibel had been kept in a small prison cell with what looked like no guards. There were bars around the cell and a large door at the end of the long row of them.

“I haven’t seen my brother or Marceline,” Bonnibel explained with a deep frown. “Or her brother, actually. I’ve been alone since they put me in here.”

“Well, now we’re going to get you out,” The blonde informed as she reached into the hair just above the band holding it back and removed a thin piece of metal. “Cake, you ready for this?”

The cat still positioned around her neck gave a small huff and slipped from her place, landing gracefully on the ground. Her jaw fell open and Fionna slipped the metal into it, giving the confused Princess a grin.

“Watch this,” She stated as Cake easily slipped through the bars and took a running leap at the large lock in the center of the cell.

With what appeared to be a bit of effort, Cake grabbed hold of each side of the lock with her front paws and braced her body against it with her back ones. She tilted her head and slipped the metal bar into the object, cranking her neck. Moments later they heard a _click_ and the door swung open, the feline gracefully landing beside it.

“She can do that…?” Bonnibel breathed in awe as Fionna lifted up her pet and gently stroked her head. “That’s amazing!”

“That’s not all she can do,” The blonde laughed, before turning Cake toward herself and looking into her large brown eyes. “Cake, I need you to find Marceline or Finn. Can you do that?”

With an annoyed meow, Cake lifted one delicate paw and swiped at her master’s face, as if in protest.

“ _Cake_ ,” The girl warned, releasing her with one hand to shake a finger in her face. “Now, now! I know you don’t like Marceline that much, but she needs our help and what did we vow?” After a moment of protesting silence, the feline let out a defeated mewl. “That’s right. We said we’ll always help people who need it. Now, are you going to cooperate?” Another quiet sound. “Good. Let’s roll!”

Leaping from Fionna’s arms, Cake landed elegantly on the ground and lifted her nose into the air, sniffing for a moment. She then took off down the hall.

Wondering if the cat was able to track scents like a dog (and how she had retrieved the ability, if so), Bonnibel followed after her cousin as the blonde trailed after her faithful pet.

* * *

The watery path had eventually given way to a large cellar full to the brim with what looked to be wine barrels. There were no guards around and for that, Finn was extremely thankful.

As much as he loved a good fight, he didn’t want to draw attention to himself.

At the top of the cellar stairs was a small door that he carefully popped open, peering out with a knife at the ready in his right hand.

The new room looked to be a kitchen, however it was currently void of inhabitants. With a slow breath, the teenager pushed the door open and slipped inside, Jake watching his back, crouched in a defensive position.

“Who are you?”

With a surprised yelp, the blonde-haired boy spun around quickly and held his knife at the ready, his faithful companion leaping in front of him with teeth bared. They stood that way for several moments as they glanced around, trying to find the source of the voice, only to stare in confusion as a small form stepped out of the shadows.

She was maybe a year or so younger than he was, with shoulder-length ginger hair and freckles that dotted her pale cheeks. Her eyes were light brown and full of wonder as she approached, no fear on her face. Finn could tell from her extravagant outfit that she was at least a noble, if not of royal blood.

“Is that a knife?” The girl asked, leaning in close to his weapon, her eyes large as she peered at it. “Why are you pointing it at me?”

“U-Uh… well…” Finn breathed, wondering why his cheeks were burning and he was finding it hard to speak.

Turning her chestnut eyes toward him, the redhead held his gaze for a few moments before she leaned back and put her arms behind her. “I’m Serafina,” She informed, holding her head high. “Princess of the Flame Kingdom. And you must be a fool, trying to break in here. Tell me why I shouldn’t call for my guards right now and have you arrested?”

“Wait-!” The blonde cried, lowering his weapon and holding up his hands to show her he meant no harm. “Please-! I’m here to try and find my friends. They were taken captive by your guards a little while ago.”

“Captive?” Serafina inquired, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. A troubled expression crossed her face and she bit her bottom lip. It was obvious to the young boy that she hadn’t known about it. “That’s still not a good reason. If they’re captive, they must be bad, which means you must be bad too! Besides, how do I know you’re not lying to me!?”

Alarmed at the sudden raise in the girl’s voice, the blonde quickly waved his arms around, eyes wide. “I-I’m not! And they’re not bad! Things just got messed up is all! Uhh… look!” Jake gave an annoyed huff as Finn wrapped his arms around his upper half, lifting it up for the girl to see. “I have a dog! Bad guys don’t have dogs, right?”

Chestnut eyes narrowed as the ginger-haired girl eyed him carefully. “No, I suppose they don’t…” She mumbled, before reaching out and gently petting Jake on the head. “You still haven’t answered my question, though… who are you?”

Nervously, Finn released his faithful pet and glanced around. He carefully leaned in to her and whispered, “I’m from Caramelo. I came with my friends to rescue someone. The King was trying to have her beheaded for being a demon, but she’s not really a demon. She’s a nymph.”

Serafina’s eyebrows shot up and her expression mirrored Aiden’s after he’d been told the same thing. “A nymph?” She breathed, almost wistfully. For a few moments she seemed dazed, before her features became angry. “My father wants to kill a nymph!?”

“Well, that’s-” Finn tried, only to be cut off as the redhead grabbed his hand in hers and began to storm out of the kitchen. “Wait, Sera- woah!”

Jake followed afterwards as the Princess pulled him through the halls. The guards almost seemed to run as she came near them, completely avoiding the two of them like their lives depended on it.

* * *

Bubba had to say he was impressed. They’d been walking around the palace for what seemed like hours, yet they hadn’t stumbled upon a single person. Somehow, the hallways managed to stay empty, save for them, even as time dragged on.

He could see from the windows that it was well into night. The sun had been high in the sky when they’d first been captured, so he could only imagine how long they’d been in the Flame palace. How long did Marshall’s blood last, anyways? He didn’t want to have to drink it again, but he feared if they didn’t find their sisters and get out soon, the nymph boy would force it down his throat once more.

The dark-haired boy was walking in front of him, completely silent. He’d stripped off his large jacket before they’d even approached the city, leaving him in a loose grey top that did little to hide just how thin he really was.

At the base of his neck, the Prince could see the start of a rather nasty looking scar. This one was older, healed over time, but it seemed to have been a pretty deep wound. The curiosity was killing him, but he thought it would be rude to ask, so he let it go. Maybe someday the other would feel comfortable sharing his scars (or at least, Bubba hoped he would), but for now they had more important things to do.

It was as if the other was reading his mind, however, because the dark-haired boy suddenly reached up and laid a hand where the strawberry blonde’s eyes had been. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, eyeing the Prince carefully.

“Why don’t we try going this way?” The older man inquired, motioning off another direction before practically bolting as Marshall stood there, watching him walk away.

With a deep breath, the nymph followed after him, shoulders tense and a hand still resting on his neck.

* * *

Fionna had to admit, she had hoped that her nimble feline companion would find Finn in case they needed to battle someone, but she hadn’t expected Cake to surpass her expectations and find the very person they’d come there to save.

Bonnibel let out a quiet gasp and carefully inched over to the cage doors while her blonde-haired companion wondered just how large the dungeons of this castle were. It seemed like they’d been walking for hours and yet the winding paths just kept going, with more and more cells popping up.

“Marceline?” The Princess called quietly while her cousin stood watch, reaching into her hair for the lock pick. “It’s me, Bonnie… can you hear me?”

The young woman inside of the cage seemed to be unconscious, her head downward and her long hair spilling over her body like a blanket. She was pressed up against a wall, both wrists shackled together above her head. For a moment they thought she wasn’t going to respond, but then she slowly lifted her eyes and peered up at them through her black locks.

Without question, Fionna quickly undid the cage door and Marceline’s shackles, before returning to the entrance and removing the knife from her large boot. She would have preferred a sword, but there was no way to keep that on her person easily so she’d settled for a more compact weapon instead.

The dark-haired nymph quite literally collapsed against her best friend, head lulling against the other’s shoulder as she let out a slow breath.

“You must be burning up,” Bonnibel whispered, her fingers shaking as she quickly unbuttoned the jacket Marceline was wearing and pulled it from her shoulders, revealing a red shirt beneath it. “Here, I brought just the thing…” She’d anticipated the heat and the King’s disregard for Marceline’s safety, so she’d come prepared. Reaching into her shirt, between her breasts, the Princess removed a small pouch and pulled two ice berries, pushing them into the other girl’s mouth.

Almost instantly, her friend let out a slow breath as her body cooled down. She seemed to regain her composure as she pulled back, pushing her long hair from her face.

“Bonnie, what are you doing here?” Marceline whispered, sparing a glance at Fionna but for the moment not addressing her. “You could be killed!”

“I’d do anything for you, Marceline,” The Princess replied, reaching out to rest a hand on her best friend’s face. Her expression was one of guilt, mixed with the hope that the other would come to forgive her in time. “I know I haven’t been showing it recently, but… you’re very important to me.”

“Bon…” The dark-haired woman breathed, basking in the attention for a few moments before she quickly stood up and turned toward the girl in the doorway. “Who else came with you?”

“Our brothers,” Fionna replied, turning to give Marceline a quick smile. “Yours and Bubblegum’s were captured and mine is somewhere trying to rescue them.”

“Well then, we can’t just stand around here all day,” The nymph stated, reaching out a hand toward the strawberry blonde still crouched beside her. “Let’s go rescue the gentlemen, shall we?”

Gazing up at the other as if seeing her in a newfound light, Bonnibel slowly let a smile cross her face. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed times like this, when she’d go on adventures with her best friend… and really, wasn’t that what this whole thing was? One big adventure?

“Let’s do it!” She declared, grasping hold of Marceline’s hand with her own and letting the girl pull her to her feet.

Fionna grinned and the three of them burst from the cell, intent on finding their siblings and getting out of there as fast as possible.

* * *

Silently he gazed upon the city below him, watching as the people dragged themselves through the streets, hungry and overheated. Many could barely avoid food, let alone ways of making themselves cool… there were no lakes or rivers for miles and the only waterway was beneath the palace, keeping the temperature comfortable from the inside out.

Aiden slowly narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, a sour taste in his mouth. His father had tried in vain to kill the nymph girl and in saving her, Prince Burton and his sister had been taken captive, along with the nymph’s brother. He could only assume the two blonde siblings (Fionna and the other one, whatever his name was) were attempting to get into the palace and rescue them, though if they were successful or not was beyond him.

 The King had really begun to lose his mind, declaring war on Caramelo, especially over the life of one girl. It wasn’t as if she’d attacked him, from what he could piece together the girl had done little more than yell at Princess Bonnibel and glare at the ginger-haired man in the corner. Perhaps she’d said a few angry words, but was it really worth losing thousands of people in battle for?

Taking in a deep breath, the young man decided what his next course of action would be carefully. He was only sixteen years old, far too young to be King, but there was really no other way to go about this. It was clear that his father was no longer fit to rule his kingdom, least he run it into the ground.

And so, Aiden turned and began to prepare himself for the battle that would be ahead.

No doubt his father would fight him, but no matter what it took, he _would_ seize the throne, even if it was by force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serafina is the name I've given to Flame Princess.


	9. My Kingdom For... The taste of protection

“Fionna!”

They’d been searching for what felt like days, staying clear of all of the castle’s inhabitants. Weirdly enough, though, it seemed like there was barely anyone within the walls of the palace, at least from what they could see. They’d only run into a few people so far and they’d been easy to hide from.

The blonde-haired girl’s face lit up as her brother came rushing up to her, however it switched to a look of surprise as a small ginger-haired girl approached with him.

“Serafina!” Bonnibel cried in surprise, her eyebrows lifting as the girl came close enough to see. “What are you doing? It’s dangerous out here!”

“I’m not a baby!” ‘Serafina’ informed, before she took them all in and turned to Finn. “Is this your sister?”

“Yeah,” Finn said with a wide grin. “And that’s Cake, her cat. This is Marceline, the nymph I told you about, and you obviously know Bubblegum.”

“Bubblegum?” The ginger-haired girl inquired in confusion, glancing at Bonnibel.

“It’s a nickname,” The Princess informed. “Serafina, have you seen my brother around? He’s about this tall…” She held up a hand. “Has the same color hair as me, and might be with a dark-haired boy.”

“I haven’t,” Serafina informed with a frown. “Wait… Finn, you said my father imprisoned some people, right?” The blonde gave a short nod. “Was it Bonnibel and her brother?”

“It was,” Fionna answered, earning a small glare from the ginger-haired girl, surprising her.

“I asked _Finn_ ,” The Flame Princess mumbled, before she turned to frown at the boy once again. “We have to stop my dad, he’s gone crazy! He’s going to get everyone killed!”

“You’re right, Princess!” The boy cried, unaware of the pout on his sister’s face. “Come on, let’s roll!”

“Finn, wait-” Bonnibel breathed, but the blonde-haired teen was already starting off down the hallway.

“C’mon, Jake!” They heard him call and the dog took off after him.

“We should probably follow too,” Fionna sighed and the other two gave solemn nods, hoping that they would stumble upon their companions before they found the Fire King.

* * *

The staff of the Flame Kingdom castle were scarce because the King had beheaded so many of them for the smallest things; a dropped plate, a glance upwards… treated poorly and beaten often, a few of them had purposely spoken out against him simply so they would be killed, just to end their suffering.

It was a sad fact and it needed to change.

Aiden had gathered his wits about him in order to overthrow his father, making note of all of the changes he wanted to implant. He had gathered the backing of all of the castle’s guards that he had spoken to and after a night of restless sleep, he was ready to find his father and face him.

He expected a battle, so he armed himself with clothing that would keep him limber and weapons stashed throughout his person. His father was strong, much stronger than the Prince who had inherited his mother’s build, but his son was fast. If he put his mind to it he could dance around the man and make quick work of any sort of fight… and if he could convince the guards, they would join in the battle and help bring the man to his knees.

He’d planned his speech, as well. He would need the support of the people if he was going to overthrow their King and while he was certain that it would be easy to gain internally, many of them were too afraid to voice their opinions. They would fear retaliation against their families if they let their needs be heard, even if it meant removing the power of the man causing them such agony.

Finally getting all of his matters in order, the young ginger-haired man addressed his guards and they began to storm the castle in hopes of finding the Fire King before he could hurt the royals from Caramelo or any of their companions.

He didn’t know much about Prince Burton but surely if someone so close to his heart were to be killed, he would want retaliation, even if it were against the Prince and not his father.

Almost as soon as he’d begun, they spotted a group heading in their direction and he stopped the guards, readying himself. However as the people got closer, he found himself relaxing a bit.

“Aiden!” Fionna gasped, pushing past her brother and rushing over to him. A smile was on her face, one that had him wondering why she seemed so easy around him. “I was hoping we would run into you! Have you seen Marshall Lee or Prince Gumball?”

“Prince… Gumball?” He inquired, his copper eyes narrowing in confusion as he spotted his little sister amongst them. What was she doing outside of her tower? His father would be furious if he found out, he never liked letting the Princess roam the castle.

“Prince Burton, sorry,” The blonde corrected as she reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “Please, it’s very important that we find them so we can get out of this place.”

“I haven’t seen them,” The ginger-haired young man informed. As her expression fell and she gave a defeated sigh, he quickly cut in with, “But I’m on my way to see the King.”

“We need to make him stop!” Serafina cried, her fists clenched in front of her chest as if she were ready to battle. “He’s trying to kill nymphs! _Nymphs_! Mom would have a heart attack!”

“Your mom?” Finn inquired curiously, his fingers reaching down to pet Jake as if automatically.

“Our mother was quite fond of nymphs,” Aiden explained carefully, not quite sure how much he could trust these people. They seemed like they had good intentions, but he was not one to be fooled. “She believed they are the creators of life and the keepers of Earth’s splendors. She told us to treat them kindly and with respect.”

“She’d be so mad if she saw this,” His sister breathed, a look of sorrow on her young features. “We _have_ to stop dad, A!”

“I have ever intention to,” The Prince informed, straightening his back and motioning to the guards that stood ten or so feet behind him. “I’m on my way there now.”

“So what are we waiting for, then?” Fionna asked, a grin on her face.

Aiden gave a solid nod and motioned for the guards to head back in the direction they’d come, intent on finding his father. If the others had come from the opposite way without seeing him, then there were only a number of places he could be.

He could only pray the man didn’t get a hold of Prince Burton before they reached him.

* * *

“I can’t believe the sun is starting to come up and we _still_ haven’t seen anyone…”

At some point they’d managed to find the kitchen, though Bubba chalked it up to the nymph’s blood still in his system. After a quick, yet strengthening meal, they’d started off again in hopes of running into _somebody_ , even if it wasn’t either of their siblings.

Eventually they’d even slipped back into the dungeon, thinking that for sure they’d find Marceline there, but after circling the large area several times, they’d left for the higher levels of the palace once more.

“Fionna must have found them,” Marshall declared, running a hand through his messy hair. For a few moments it had appeared his fever was trying to come back, only to be beaten down by one of the ice berries that Bonnibel had left on his person. “You think she escaped, or is she trying to find us?”

“At this rate, I’d say they left,” The Prince replied, his stomach suddenly feeling very empty, despite all of the food he’d eaten. His shoulders began to tighten of their own accord and his head felt momentarily light. It was as if he were afraid of something, without knowing it. “Since we’ve been spending all night looking and haven’t seen them yet.”

“Then let’s start looking for a way out,” Marshall stated as he pushed open a large set of double doors and stepped in. “Maybe we can-”

Suddenly, Bubba knew what the feeling had been. As the door fell shut behind and the Fire King turned to face them, he realized that it had been the last bit of the nymph’s blood leaving him, giving way to the natural flow of reality once more.

The man let out a growl of disgust, holding his head up high. “So you escaped? Did your demon help you out!? You’ve ready sunk low, Burton. Your father would be ashamed of you!”

“I’m the one who is ashamed of my father,” The Prince replied coldly, grabbing Marshall’s arm and pushing the surprised boy behind himself. “You don’t know what you speak of, Fire King. Marceline is no demon, as we’ve all said. She is a nymph.”

“That creature is no nymph!” The King snapped, his fists clenched and his back stiff. “Perhaps a nymph of the underworld, but be that the case, any creature from below deserves nothing more than death!”

“You’re wrong!” Marshall screamed, only to frown as Bubba stepped in more in front of him. “What are you doing? I can take him!”

“Stay out of this, Marshall,” The strawberry blonde wheezed, his entire arm shaking as he held it out, as if to stop the other in his tracks.

The dark-haired young man was about to protest, when he realized suddenly what the other boy was doing.

To kill a King would no doubt be thought of negatively, even on a crowned Prince, but if Marshall himself were to do it, there was no doubt that a lowly servant (and that’s really what he still was, wasn’t it?) would be hung for treason. Perhaps the people of the Flame Kingdom did not care for their king, but who was to say Aiden would not have his father avenged, if only for show?

“Learn your place, boy!” The King snapped and the dark-haired boy couldn’t help but bare his teeth and let out a quiet hiss. “Burton! You let your _slaves_ speak to royalty in such a manner!? You disgust me!”

“Marshall Lee is no slave,” Bubba informed, holding his head up high. “He is a trusted friend.”

Blue eyes widened momentarily in shock as the nymph looked to the Prince. Had the other just called him… a friend? A _trusted_ friend, in fact. Yes, they had been traveling together to save Marceline and the strawberry blonde had been caring for him while he was ill… but did he really consider him a friend?

He’d never had a friend before, aside from his sister when they were very young. The thought brought warmth to his heart only to have it cut short as the King let out a loud laugh.

“You make friends with your slaves!?” He cried, wiping at the tears that had begun to form in the corners of his eyes. “How pathetic! You are not fit to be King, you are nothing more than a child!”

“It is you who is not fit,” Bubba informed, his violet blue eyes narrowed in disgust. “Look at your kingdom, Fire King. It is in ruin! Your people are starved, your crops are withering… your water is scarce and how many die every day because of it!? If you care at all for the ones that you serve, then step down! Let your son rule!”

The man’s features twisted in anger and he let out a growl. The two young men watched as he turned toward the wall behind himself, grabbing hold of a long blade, before starting to advance on them. “You’ll have my head before I give up my throne!”

Letting out a surprised noise, the Prince grabbed hold of Marshall Lee and dragged him to the side as the Fire King swung overhead at them. He twisted past the man and rushed toward the other side of the room, pressing Marshall against the wall. “Stay here!”

“But-” The dark-haired boy tried, but it fell on deaf ears as Bubba grabbed hold of another blade mounted on the wall and stood his ground.

“You are a disgrace to your Kingdom!” The large man screamed, turning and lifting his sword. His eyes were ablaze with madness, no sense of reason able to reach him. “I’ll be doing them a favor when I _kill you_!”

Bubba stepped aside as the Fire King swung at him once again, easily able to dodge the attack. It seemed the ginger-haired man was too far gone in his rage to pay any attention to the sword-fighting basics. Instead, he swung wildly with no chance at hiding his nimble target, who didn’t even have to block.

Marshall Lee watched silently from the other side of the room, watching carefully for a moment when he’d need to swoop in and save Bubba. His fingers were shaking, itching for a chance to get in there and swipe the man across the chest with one clawed hand… but he remained in his spot. If he were to attack the Fire King, it would have to be in defense of his Prince and for no other reason.

Suddenly, the raging man seemed to notice him, his copper eyes turning to gaze at the dark-haired boy across the room. Letting out a growl, he readied his blade and started to advance.

The nymph went still, unsure of what to do. Defending the Prince was the only acceptable reason to attack this man… but what about protecting himself? There was nowhere to run, not with enough time, and he wasn’t as graceful as Bubba so it wasn’t like he could just dodge. So instead he stood and watched as death himself rushed at him, blade at the ready.

And then his Prince, his sweet Prince, swept in and grabbed hold of him with both arms. In one quick motion, the strawberry blonde-haired young man pushed him to the side, to his knees, saving him from sure death. He tried to move himself from harm’s way with the few remaining moments but it was in vain and the sword came down, blood spilling moments later.

The Fire King seemed just as surprised as Bubba as blood began to spill from the Prince’s upper left arm, where the sword had cut deep as he’d tried to move away. For a moment they both stood there, astonished, but Marshall was not about to let it happen again.

The dark-haired young man let out a loud hiss, baring his teeth as they grew into fangs. The ginger-haired man jumped back in alarm, his copper eyes wide, and the nymph took that opportunity to leap forward and wrap his arms around the Prince’s waist.

In one graceful motion Marshall leapt into the air. He was not as adapt as he could have been with this particular skill, but he’d never before had the ability to use it, so it wasn’t like he’d had much practice.

It was better to stay grounded, he supposed, so he pressed his feet against the flat surface and held Bubba tightly as the Prince clung desperately to him with his good arm, alarm and fear written on his features. Blow them; the Fire King was gaping up at their ceiling-stuck forms, a horrified look in his eyes.

“Another demon!” He shrieked, pointing an accusing finger up at Marshall, who pulled Bubba tighter against himself as the strawberry blonde began to slip.

“Marshall!” The Prince gasped and the nymph looked up, but saw it too late. A ball of fire flew their direction and he did the only thing he could think of… he dropped. The two of them went crashing to the floor and he landed on the right side of his face, scratching it to bits as he slid across the marble. The older man landed on top of him, knocking the air from his lungs but effectively protecting the other boy from much harm.

“Y-you just… you just threw _fire_ ,” Bubba wheezed as he struggled to his feet, grasping his injured arm. He looked terrified, as if he knew that they had no hope of winning…

Of course… there had to be a reason why they named him the Fire King.

“We’re not called the Flame Kingdom just for our scorching heat,” The man chuckled, holding out both hands in front of himself, palms up. He curled his fingers inward and flames began to shoot out of them, twisting into the air and taking shape. “For hundreds of years, anyone of royal blood has been trained in the art of fire magic, the most difficult magic to master.” The flames danced around became a long, thin tunnel, almost like the body of a snake. “It’s a well-kept secret…” No, that wasn’t a snake… It was a dragon! “That you’ll take to your graves!”

Time seemed to move in slow motion as Bubba watched the dragon curl around its master’s body and fly toward him. From the corner of his eye he saw Marshall move, before the dark-haired boy stepped in the way and blocked his vision. Pale, scarred fingers reached out and cupped the Prince’s face, pulling it down until their lips crushed against each other in a kiss that sparked something deep inside of him.

Then he tasted the blood.

His lip… of course, he must have cut up his lip when he landed. And now he was forcing that blood on Bubba, protecting him from misfortune and ill fate.

There was that instantaneous flash once more as time stood still completely, the sweet taste flooding his senses. He could see destiny changing, the threads disconnecting and twisting themselves to protect him from harm.

Then the dark-haired boy against him let out a painful cry and stumbled forward as the dragon made of flame crashed into his back.


	10. My Kingdom For… The path we take

The world seemed to move in slow motion, flames disappearing into thin air around him, as if he were protected by an unmovable force. The man before him let out a growl of frustration as the last of his flaming dragon disappeared into nothingness and he readied another ball of fire as Bubba slipped to the ground, Marshall resting against his chest.

From somewhere in the distance he heard a voice call out and the Fire King stopped, turning to look and see. But the Prince was too far gone, too caught up to pay any attention to what was happening around him.

Marshall Lee’s back was _destroyed_. His clothes were in shreds, or at least what he could see of them mixed in with the charcoal and red skin that was left of the boy’s flesh.

The hit had landed on his lower back, leaving his shoulders untouched but his waistline in shambles. Any scars that might have been left there had been obliterated completely, covered anew by burn marks that would last him a lifetime.

Suddenly, the dark-haired young man let out a choked noise and Bubba gasped, reaching up to burry a hand in his hair. He hadn’t realized the other was still conscious, having assumed he’d blacked out as soon as the flames had hit him.

“Marshall?” He called, not liking how weak his own voice sounded. “Marshall, you’re going to be okay. We’re going to get you a healer, just hang in there, alright?”

“Sh… sh-shit…” The other managed, before another strangled noise left him, followed by a sob.

“W-why… why did it hurt you?” The Prince found himself whispering, starting to wrap his other arm around his companion, only to realize that there was nowhere for him to rest his hand. “T-the blood…”

“P-pro… tects… you…” Came a mumbled response and Bubba let out a slow breath. Of course… the nymph’s blood had saved _him_ from harm… by using Marshall as a shield.

Suddenly, he was aware of a group surrounding the Fire King and his eyes snapped to them. Prince Aiden stood before the man, guards flanked on either side of him.

“This is mutiny!” The ginger-haired King cried, pointing a large finger at his son, whose copper eyes narrowed in response. “You have no right to try and take my crown from me, boy!”

“I have the backing of the staff and I will have the support of the people,” Aiden informed coldly, his face leaving no room for sympathy. “Your reign as King his over, father. Guards, cease him!”

The groups of men rushed forward, not backing down even as the Fire King began to summon flames once more. It seemed they had anticipated this as several of them removed pouches of water from their waists and threw them over the man, stopping him from using his magic.

As the men hauled the man away as if it were effortless, a second group came out from behind them, looks of horror falling over their faces.

“Marshall!” Marceline cried as she rushed floated over, before falling to the ground rather ungracefully beside the Caramelo Prince. Her brother’s eyes drifted to her as she stared, horrified, at the burns dancing across his back. “W-what…?”

“My family is trained in the art of fire magic,” Aiden explained with an unreadable expression, his eyes gazing at the scene carefully. “Those look to be the burns of a Flame Dragon, the most powerful fire skill to ever be created. I’ve never seen anyone survive that attack. There’s only one mage alive that could have any hope of healing a burn like that.”

“Who is it?” Bubba inquired as his sister came to kneel at his other side, frowning at the wound that was still leaking blood down his arm.

“They call her the Ice Queen,” The Flame Prince informed, noting the way his sister’s face twisted into a sour expression. “She lives on the mountain, on the other side of where you resided, Fionna. A visit to her is said to test even the most skilled travelers, both in body and in spirit. It is quite a travel from here, even on horseback, but if you want those burns taken care of, that is your best bet.”

“Can you at the very least heal them a small amount?” Fionna inquired as Marceline began to pet her brother’s hair, his eyes drifting close. “He’s not fit for travel, this way.”

“I’ll have my doctors do what they can,” The man replied, giving her a small nod.

“I want to go with you!” Serafina suddenly cried, turning to look at Finn with large brown eyes. “I want to travel with you, Finn!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Bonnibel stated, moving to stand and approaching the girl with an expression an adult would give to a tantrum-enraged child. “We need to focus on our travels and one more person would only slow us down.”

“I won’t slow you down!” The ginger-haired Princess snapped, her fiery gaze enough to make the last few guards cringe away from her, as if in fear. “I want to go, so let me go _now_!”

“No.” The sternness in Bonnibel’s voice was absolute and she held her head high, showing that she had no intention of backing down.

Serafina let out a loud shriek and her hands became ablaze. The guards ducked away as she began to throw fire around her in a fit of rage. Fionna grabbed hold of Finn and the two of them hit the floor, Aiden following them. Bonnibel was not quick enough, however, and was knocked back as a ball of fire crashed into her body.

“Water!” Aiden cried and moments later the guards were throwing cold liquid onto his sister, who let out another scream of frustration.

“Bonnie!” Marceline wheezed, stumbling over to her best friend to inspect the damage. She let out a gasp as she saw the burn that dotted the fair skin of the other girl’s left arm, which she had held up to block her chest.

“It’s nothing,” The Caramelo Princess informed quickly, pulling her arm away, her cheeks flushed. “Only a small burn, I’ve gotten worse while playing around with my potions kit. Don’t worry about me.”

“Are you calling me weak!?” Serafina cried and Aiden let out a slow breath, before motioning to the guards. Now that the girl’s magic was taken, they seemed unafraid of her and they quickly grabbed hold of her arms, beginning to take her from the room. “No! I want to go too! Aiden, _please_! Don’t lock me back up!”

“We don’t keep her in the tower because we want to,” The ginger-haired Prince explained once she was gone, turning to look at Fionna as if he wanted her approval and hers only. “When she gets upset she injures guards, so we keep her in her room as much as we can. I’ve always hoped she would calm down.”

“It doesn’t seem to be working,” Fionna informed, frowning as she helped Finn to his feet and repositioned Cake around her neck.

“Maybe it’s that time of the month?” Finn breathed, earning himself a hit to the back of the head.

“Prince Burton, do you think you can carry Marshall Lee?” Aiden inquired, looking to the strawberry blonde, who lifted his gaze to him with a numb expression. “The medic’s office is not far.”

“Not with his arm, he can’t,” Fionna cut in before the other man could say anything. She crossed the large room and bent down, gently taking Marshall from his companion’s arms and lifting him into her own, careful to mind his burns. “Marcy, get Gumball. Finn, grab Bubblegum and let’s get out of here!”

With twin nods, the two addressed young people helped their companions to their feet and they followed Aiden as a group toward his medic’s office.

* * *

The Prince had been right when he’d said there was little they could do for Marshall’s burn. The healing tonic they’d put on had done little more but wake him due to pain and thought they’d bandaged it, spots of blood were quickly seeping through and staining the white surface.

Bonnibel’s burns had fared better, though only just. The salve they’d placed on them only did so much for the pain but she did not complain, her head held high.

Aiden insisted on packing them with as much food as he could, telling them that they would need it. He also provided them with a pack worth of medical supplies and they couldn’t help but sense a worried air about him.

The ginger-haired Prince then informed them that the horses wouldn’t be able to travel the whole way, so he would have MoCro, Lady, and Charlie taken back to their kingdom. He provided them instead with three of his own, saying that they would find their way home when it came time.

And with that, the group set off atop his horses, paired off and carrying as much as they could without having it weigh them down.

The ride to actually reach the mountain was short and quiet, save for Fionna pointing out the sign that lead up to the witch’s cabin.

As the cold started to hit, however, they stopped to dress in the jackets that Aiden had provided them with – not much more than a fleet of black coats and red cloaks that went over them, really. They barely kept out the cold, but it was better than nothing.

“I can’t wait to be _clean_ again,” Marceline commented, breaking the seemingly awkward silence, and earning smiles from the other members of the group.

“Agreed,” Bubba informed as he helped Marshall put on his jacket, the dark-haired young man trying his best to keep a straight face despite the pain from his back.

After slipping a large, deep red cloak over Bonnibel’s shoulders, the older girl helped her friend onto the horse and climbed up behind her. She would have preferred to be in front (mostly because she felt like a delicate flower, sitting in the back, and didn’t like it), but she’d never ridden a horse on her own so she wasn’t exactly sure how to control one.

“Hey, Bon?” Marceline inquired once they were situated, catching the attention of the strawberry blonde, who did her best to glance over her shoulder at her. “Why did Bubba say that I’m your lady-in-waiting?”

The Princess seemed surprised for a moment, before she puffed up her cheeks and turned her gaze back to the front as Fionna and Finn climbed on top of their shared horse. “Well… because I consider you one. And I was kind of hoping you would become one after all this is done…”

The dark-haired woman’s eyebrows shot up and her lips parted to let out a small breath. Bonnibel wanted her to be a lady in waiting? But she wasn’t a noble… she was technically still a _slave_ , as it was. What was the other girl thinking? The other nobles would be extremely upset if they found out about it! “I’m not a noble,” She reminded, carefully, wrapping her arms around the other’s waist as the rest of the group started walking in silence.

“I don’t care,” Was the other’s response with a shrug.

With a frustrated breath, Marceline glanced at her brother as he gazed back at them, catching his eyes. Instantly his cheeks went red and he turned away, trying to pretend like he wasn’t listening.

Something dawned on her suddenly and her heart began to ache in her chest, her gut twisting. Bonnibel let out a hum as the dark-haired woman’s arms wrapped around her a bit tighter.

“Is the wedding still on?” The older asked, quiet enough that the others could barely overhear, no matter how hard they were trying to ease drop.

But it seemed that Fionna had extremely good hearing, because she glanced over her shoulder and cut in, seeming unable to stop herself. “What wedding?”

Bubba’s eyebrows shot up and he turned to look at his sister. Apparently he had been politely trying not to listen in. When the Princess offered no answer, he turned toward his blonde-haired cousin. “Bonnie was engaged to Prince Aiden before all of this started.”

Marceline was about to comment that it was the engagement that had started all this, when she caught the pout that crossed Fionna’s face as she turned away, shoulders stiff.

Finn let out a short laugh and turned to grin back at the group, smugly. “She’s upset because she thinks that Aiden’s _cu~te_.”

“Shut up, Finn!” His sister snapped, her entire face red, both from embarrassment and anger.

“See how she doesn’t deny it?” He laughed, earning him an elbow to the gut. Jake let out a bark from his place on the ground and the boy let out a wheeze of, “Thanks for the support, boy.”

Obviously uncomfortable with the topic at hand, Bubba cleared his throat and glanced back over his shoulder. “How are you, Marshall?”

The dark-haired boy’s expression turned to one of surprise, before he quickly tilted his head out of the other’s line of sight. “I’m fine, man. Don’t worry about me.”

“Are you sure? Do you need a fresh round of bandages?” The older continued to question, trying to strain his neck to see only to have the other boy tilt even more out of his sight.

“I’m serious,” Marshall Lee insisted carefully, his body tense. He didn’t want to admit that his back ached and that the salves they had smothered it with did nothing. Instead he tried to bring the subject around, asking, “Why did you call me your friend?”

“Excuse me?” The Prince asked, surprise written on his face, even though the other boy couldn’t see it.

“In front of the Fire King,” The nymph reminded, his hold around the older man tightening slightly. “You said I was a trusted friend.”

Bubba was silent for a few moments and as it stretched on, Marshall was worried what the answer would be. Had he said it just to confuse the King? Did he really consider him nothing more than a slave? But then the strawberry blonde let out a small chuckle and said, “Because I consider you a very important friend of mine, Marshall.”

Slowly a red flush crawled over the younger man’s pale face and he quickly buried it into the back of the other’s cloak, trying to hide from her sister as she grinned from the corner of his vision.

As he did, the Prince let out a slow breath and closed his own eyes for a few moments. He felt a feeling ghost over him at the memory of Marshall’s lips on his. Even if it had been to protect him with the boy’s blood, they’d still _kissed_ and he couldn’t seem to get it off his mind.

“Looks like this is as far as the horses go.”

Fionna’s words snapped him out of it and he gazed up, seeing a river coming up in front of them. As they inched closer, he noticed that the waters were rapid and there would be no getting across on their mounts… in fact, he wasn’t even sure how they were supposed to get across on their own.

The blonde-haired siblings slipped off of their steed, Finn moved closer to the water and hummed, gazing around. After a moment he grinned and pointed as the others began to approach with their traveling packs in hand. “There’s a fallen tree over there we can use to cross.”

“Isn’t that a little dangerous?” Bonnibel inquired, frowning as she positioned the medical supplies pack comfortably on her hip, the strap across her front.

“C’mon, where’s your sense of adventure!?” The young boy laughed as he rushed over to the fallen tree and hopped onto it gracefully. Jake came over to the edge and barked at him as he started to cross.

“Finn, wait-” Marceline called, rushing over. “I can just carry us across in my bat for-”

The blonde hit the water before they’d even realized he’s fallen. Jake let out a long series of barks, rushing along the edge of the water as the rest of the group stood, stunned, for a few moments.

Then Fionna let out an alarmed cry and started off after the dog, yelling her brother’s name as he bobbed up and down on the surface, choking on water.

Marceline was in her giant bat form moments later, flying off after them. The rest took a few moments longer to get over the shock, but eventually they started off as well.

Finn was gasping and trying to grab hold of anything he could, but there was nothing within reach. Fionna let out a sob, but kept running, even as her heart pounded in her chest. She _had_ to catch him… she had to save him! It was her job to protect him, she was all he had.

The feeling of panic increased tenfold as her gaze drifted downstream and she realized that the water cut off into a sudden waterfall, no more than fifty feet ahead.

“Finn, no!” The girl sobbed, her legs giving out beneath her. She collapsed to the ground, catching the horrified look on her brother’s face as the water gave out beneath him and he went tumbling over the edge of the cascade.

From the corner of her eye, the blonde saw either Marceline or Marshall Lee fly by, but in her heart she knew it was too late. He wouldn’t survive a fall like that… he was a strong boy, yes, but that was _impossible_.

Bonnibel fell to her knees beside her and reached to touch her shoulder, but Fionna knocked her hand aside, an intense glare on her face. The Princess, her brother, and Marshall Lee all flinched, their eyes wide as she stood up and pointed an accusing finger in their general direction.

“This is _your_ fault!” She shrieked, not really at anyone in particular. “If you hadn’t come into our lives, Finn would be fine! He would be _alive_!”

“F-Fionna…” Bonnibel breathed, only to turn in surprise as a large dark form approached from the sky.

Marceline landed gracefully with something clenched in her arms, transforming elegantly and managing to hold the figure against her chest as she did so.

Fionna let out a gasp and rushed over as the dark-haired woman sat her brother onto the ground, before all but collapsing herself, letting out a breath.

“I caught him as he fell,” She explained, shivering from the cold. She’d apparently gotten soaked as well.

There was a collective exhale as Finn began to cough and sputter, climbing onto his hands and knees to try and get the water from his lungs.

“Okay, so that was a _bad_ idea…” The young teen mumbled as his sister grabbed him and smashed him against her chest, letting out a loud sob. “Woah, Fifi! I’m fine, I swear! Calm down!”

“I thought I’d lost you!” She wailed, burring her face into his soaked hair, not seeming to notice that he’d lost his normal white hat somewhere along the way and his chin-length blonde locks were sticking to his wet face. “I was so worried, I thought you were _dead_ , Finn!” Suddenly, the older sibling pulled away and gave the boy a good smack to the back of the head. “You _idiot_ , you could have _died_!”

“I’m sorry!” He protested as she grabbed him in her arms again.

Marshall watched this with an unreadable expression, but the look in his eyes said everything.

Had Fionna’s words been how she really felt? Did she resent him for putting her and her brother through all this? Or had they just been words from a panicked girl who assumed her only remaining family was dead?

He prayed that it was the latter, but his exhausted mind kept chipping away at him, telling him that inside the girl wanted nothing to do with him. That she hated him.

The thought wouldn’t leave his mind, no matter how much he tried to push it away, and it remained even as Marceline carried them across the river and they found somewhere to set up a fire so that she and Finn could dry off.

* * *

Fingers reached out to touch his cheek and all he could see was the wide grin on the other’s face. There were tears streaking from his eyes but it only made the other smile bigger, as if it pleased him.

_I love it when you cry._

Those hands lifted and twisted into his hair suddenly and he was jerked down, pressed against the mattress beneath him. He cried out, begged for the other to stop, but it only seemed to make the form even happier.

Then the fingers were around his neck, sharp nails digging in, and his air was cut off. His fingers came up, trying to push the hands away, but it was futile. He was tiny - only a child - and this man was large and strong.

Somehow his clothes were gone and he could feel the other looming over him, no doubt about to-

“ _Marshall_!”

A choked sob left the dark-haired boy as he jerked awake, tears staining his pale cheeks. Above him, Bubba’s face was full of alarm and worry and he gently released the nymph’s shoulders, having tried to shake him awake.

“A nightmare?” The Prince inquired, only to frown as his friend curled onto his side and wrapped his arms around his middle. He realized, then, exactly what the nightmare had been about. “Marshall…”

“I’m fine…” Marshall Lee muttered, not bothering to hide the tears, or his shaking shoulders. Bubba had already seen them, so there was no point in denying they were there. “Just go back to sleep.”

Surprise filled him as the strawberry blonde was suddenly lying at his side, one gentle hand reaching out to wipe the tears from his face. He lifted his eyes to the other’s violet ones, studying him carefully, wondering why the Prince’s touch did not make him cower away.

Bubba looked nothing like his father, really. He had his mother’s gentle features and violet eyes… if it weren’t for his lighter colored hair, he wouldn’t be relatable to the King at all.

“I hate it when you cry,” The older boy mumbled, his own expression full of sorrow. “You deserve to be happy, Marshall Lee. You’ve had enough crying in your life.”

_I love it when you cry._

The dark-haired boy let out a slow breath and felt his body relax, even though the other was still resting a hand on his face. There was just something about this young man that put him at ease… that broke down all of his walls and yet promised to keep him safe.

Even as Bubba eventually drifted off to sleep, Marshall couldn’t seem to. So instead he lay beside the Prince and watched his face as the sun began to rise, spilling small breaks of light through the trees, dotting the royal’s gentle features.

It was Fionna who woke first, letting out a yawn and climbing from her place beside her brother. She moved over to the kindling fire and checked on the younger blonde’s clothes, before sparing a glance at Marshall and realizing he was awake.

“Hey,” The girl addressed almost awkwardly, reaching up to run a nervous hand through her loose bangs, which were pushed to the side of her face. “Uh… do you need your bandages changed?”

She took note of the way he seemed to tense instantly, before he crawled out from the sleeping bag he shared with Bubba. “I’m fine.”

“But they haven’t been changed in a while,” The blonde reminded, reaching over to the medical bag which rested beside Bonnibel and Marceline. “You could probably use it, dude. You don’t want that burn to get infected.”

“Really, it’s okay,” Marshall insisted, even as Fionna got up and began approaching him.

“C’mon,” The younger stated in a voice that offered no room for argument.

With tense shoulders, the dark-haired boy followed his companion a little ways away from the campsite and removed his upper clothing at her order, keeping his front to her with a downcast expression.

“I’m sorry.”

His pale blue eyes lifted and he found himself frowning. “What?”

Fionna’s own eyes were down as well, a look of guilt on her features. “I’m sorry,” She repeated, before going on to explain, “About what I said to you, Bubblegum, and Gumball. I didn’t mean it… I was just- well, I… I was upset about Finn. I don’t resent you or anything, man. Actually, I consider you a friend.”

Marshall’s eyebrows lifted, surprise washing over him once more. There was that word again… friend. He’d somehow gone from having no friends to having a group of them.

But was it such a surprise that she thought of him that way, really? That all of them did? After all, they could have just returned back home after he’d been burned by the Fire King, yet here they were journeying to meet a witch in the middle of nowhere just so he could be healed. They were risking their lives for him… just as any friend would do.

“Now come on, let’s change these things,” Fionna cut in, trying to break the silence as she reached for the other to turn him around. Immediately she noticed him tense once more, however, and frowned. “Marshall…”

“Yes?” He breathed, turning his gaze away.

“…I already saw the scars,” the blonde-haired young woman reminded and he realized that she was right. After all, she had treated his wounds back in her cabin, when he’d been run through by the spear. “And I haven’t told anyone. You can trust me.”

With a slow sigh, the dark-haired nymph nodded and turned, letting her remove the bandages that covered his lower back.

She said nothing about the cuts on his upper back, or the design they made.


	11. My Kingdom for... The way you make me feel

It took them another day to reach even a sign that they were heading in the right direction. Along the way they had encountered a pack of wolves, but one large transformation from Marceline had scared them away.

Eventually they came upon the start of what looked like an endless flight of stairs and they took a seat at the bottom to rest for a bit, knowing that the way up was going to be trying.

Marceline had, for some reason, been avoiding her best friend and Bonnibel decided that while the others were engrossed in a conversation about something or other, she would finally find out why.

Wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, the strawberry blonde took a seat beside her friend on the rock she’d claimed as her own. Immediately the other’s brown eyes fell upon her and the older girl went a little bit stiff, obviously uncomfortable.

“Why are you avoiding me?” The Princess inquired, frowning softly as she tried to catch her companion’s gaze. The other immediately looked away. “Marceline, if this is about what happened back in Caramelo-”

“I can’t stay with you.”

Bonnibel’s eyebrows shot up and a look of confusion crossed her face. “What?”

Marceline finally turned toward her, though her gaze was cast downward. She had a frown upon her chapped lips and her shoulders were shaking, slightly. “I can’t stay with you,” She repeated, as if to explain. Then, slowly, she let out a pained breath. “I can’t be your lady in waiting, Bonnie.”

As the younger girl frowned at her, the nymph lifted her eyes and let them drift to the others, resting on her younger brother as he silently listened to the conversation around them. The realization hit the Princess suddenly and she smiled, sadly. “Marshall Lee.”

“I’m not leaving him,” The dark-haired woman explained, rather shortly. “And I’m not making him live in the castle, not after what your father did to him.” She either missed the way her friend flinched, or chose to ignore it. “So no, I can’t stay with you. I’m sorry.”

Marceline let out a small breath as the other’s fingers lifted and gently touched her cheek, turning her face and forcing her to look into soft, violet eyes.

“I understand,” Bonnibel assured, trying hard to push the tears away. She had expected Marceline to accept… she hadn’t even fathomed that the other would say no. But it made the most sense, she realized… Marshall Lee was now the most important thing in his sister’s life, making the Princess second best. She held no grudges against the boy and really, how could she? He’d been through hell, he deserved happiness. “I hope we can visit sometimes, though.”

“Of course, your highness,” Marceline replied with a weak grin in an attempt to break the sad mood. It only seemed to make the strawberry blonde sadder, however, and she sighed. “Bonnie…”

“I love you, Marceline,” The younger informed, letting her hand drop, her eyes doing the same. “You are a good friend. I would never come between you and him and I could not fathom even trying to. I’m not upset, I promise. I just hope that you two can adjust and I will help you in any way I can.”

Silence fell between them and the dark-haired woman’s mind lingered on the three words that her companion had said.

 _I love you_.

She’d meant it as a friend, of course. Maybe like a sister. But for some reason, the older girl couldn’t help but let the words echo in her mind.

Bonnibel had been her one companion growing up and she couldn’t imagine living without the girl. It pained her to think about it, even though she knew doing so was the best thing for her brother. But her heart couldn’t help but ache, telling her how desperately it needed to be beside the Princess, how much she cared for the other girl.

The knowledge was sudden as the other girl stood and joined the others, fitting perfectly into the conversation with a soft laugh and excited words. It had been a long time coming, she realized, but for some reason it hadn’t dawned on her until that very moment as she watched her best friend sit beside her brother and try to include him in with a smile.

She was in love with Princess Bonnibel of Caramelo.

* * *

The stairs really did seem endless. At one point, Marceline had attempted to shift into her large bat form and fly up, but the high wind speed that met them part of the way stopped that immediately.

So instead they were trekking slowly, taking small breaks every so often. Even Fionna and Finn, who were fit from their days of hunting for food, were feeling exhausted. There was a big difference between walking around on a mountain and going upstairs after all, especially after a two-day trek beforehand.

Bubba stopped in his tracks and leaned over, hunching against his knees as he tried to catch his breath. The rest of the group stopped, but Marshall turned and told them they’d catch up so they continued, leaving the two boys alone.

“You okay, man?” The dark-haired boy asked over the wind, his cloak blowing around his shoulders as he reached out a put a hand on the Prince’s arm. “I bet we’re almost there, huh?”

“Aiden wasn’t kidding when he said it was a trying experience,” The strawberry blonde mumbled, lifting his eyes to look at the other’s pale face, flushed from the cold. Guilt flashed through Marshall’s blue eyes and quickly the Prince gave a soft smile. “But it’s worth it.”

He was pretty sure that rosy face became darker as the other boy looked away, puffing up his cheeks to try and hide his embarrassment. He was adorable really, his eyes gazing off to the side, not really looking at anything in particular… they seemed to sparkle in the dim overcast light of mid-day, the wind blowing his dark hair into his face…

Bubba sucked in a deep breath. Where had that come from? Yes, there was no denying that Marshall Lee was attractive, but his eyes sparkling? Really? That was the kind of thing people wrote about in romance novels, not what people thought about in real life.

His cheeks suddenly became hot as the other boy looked at him curiously, clear blue eyes seeming almost intense with confusion.

 _Romance_ novels. Cheesy things like that were part of stories about people falling in love and getting married. About couples finding each other in the most chaotic of stories and looking into each other’s eyes, realizing that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

But he didn’t feel that way about Marshall! No, of course not… after all, he barely knew this boy who had saved his life several times, who he was climbing a mountain to protect…

“Dude, are you okay? You’re looking at me really weird, man. It’s kind of creeping me out.”

Immediately the Prince snapped himself out of it and pushed past the other boy, starting up the stairs once more. “I-it’s nothing!” He choked, trying to resist the urge to bury his face in his hands and attempt his hardest to disappear.

When was the last time something had left him this flustered? He couldn’t remember. He was a _Prince_ , for god’s sake! He was supposed to be poised at all times and never let anything bother him… yet here was this innocent guy who seemed to get past all of his defenses and bring out the nervous young man he had buried deep inside of him, all with one simple look and a forced kiss to save his life.

“I see the top!”

Fionna let out a slow breath as she pointed upwards, into the icy winds. The top seemed to be blocked by a thick layer of fog, but if they peered hard enough they could see what looked like a small castle of deep blue.

Rejuvenated, the group pressed on and soon enough they met the castle’s front gates, only to be surprised as almost instantly the wind stopped.

“Must be some sort of magic,” Bonnibel commented as she removed the hood of her cloak and looked around, taking in the small courtyard.

It was much more scaled down from the one in the Fire Kingdom or even their own in Caramelo, but it was none the less beautifully designed. The flowers, however, appeared to be made of ice, as well as the statues and the rocks that lined the pathways.

The castle itself was made of what looked like some sort of blue stone and the large doors were engraved with a strange language that Bonnibel immediately recognized.

“This is the language that Wizards use,” She explained as they came closer, peering up at it. “I saw in those potion books you got me as a child, Bubba. I don’t know how to read it, though.”

“Well,” Fionna hummed as they stepped up to the closed door. “Should we, uh… knock?”

Before they could figure it out, the towering double doors suddenly started to open, revealing a large entrance way with a massive stairwell and royal blue decorations, icy statues looming over them.

Fionna’s eyes drifted downward and she let out a surprised noise, alerting Cake, who was shivering inside of her cloak. Jake let out a bark and the creature standing in the doorway made a noise in response, before turning to walk away.

“Was that…” Marceline breathed. “A penguin?”

“Come in, come in! Shut the door, too, its cold out there.”

Suddenly they were aware of a form at the top of the staircase and as they inched closer, two more penguins came from seemingly nowhere and pushed the door closed behind them.

The woman standing there began to descend gracefully, almost seeming to float as she did so. She was dressed in an extravagant blue gown, matching her decorations, and had stark white hair that was twisted up into a braided style on top of her head. Despite the color of her hair, however, she appeared to be no older than thirty five, with pale skin, white eyelashes, and colorless eyes.

“You must be Prince Burton,” The woman stated, giving a low bow, before addressing the rest of them. “Princess Bonnibel, Marceline, Marshall Lee, Fionna, Finn… and of course, Cake and Jake.”

Finn let out a whistle as they all stood there in awe. “You know your stuff, lady.”

“My name is Simone,” She explained with a smile. “But everyone calls me the Ice Queen.” Suddenly, she motioned to the penguins that were still by the door. “Take their belongings to their rooms, please. I’ll see if dinner is ready.”

“Dinner…?” Bonnibel breathed as one of the small creatures came and reached up to her. Nervously, she handed it the medical pack and saw Fionna do the same with the food. Finn handed over the sleeping bags and they watched as the animals waddled away with their only means of survival.

“Of course!” the Ice Queen declared, motioning for them to follow as she started off to the left of the entranceway. “You see, I saw that you were on your way from the moment you reached the stairs. I have a way of watching things all the way down there and so I readied some rooms for you and prepared a meal.” Turning to look over her shoulder, she gave a smile. “It’s been some time since I had guests! I assume you’ve come to visit because of a burn?”

“Right ahead,” Finn hummed as Bubba blushed, wondering if she’d seen the interaction between himself and Marshall.

“We’ll get some food in you, then I’ll take a look at it,” The white-haired woman informed as they stepped through a large set of double doors and into a massive dining hall. “I get the impression that it’s you, Marshall Lee, who has this burn?” As she turned to gaze at him, he gave a slow nod. “I had a hunch, simply by the way you’re carrying yourself.”

“You sure know a lot about people for someone who spends her time alone,” Marceline mumbled as they all gathered around one end of the table and took their seats.

“Penguins and people aren’t that different, really,” Simone replied, grabbing one of the silky creatures as it tried to jump on the table and gently setting it down.

She lifted her hands and clapped them together twice. Instantly a door at the end of the room came open and a long line of penguins came out, carrying plates. The guests watched in awe as they jumped onto the table and moved in front of them, setting the dishes down and removing the tops, before leaving.

“I hope rabbit stew is alright,” The Ice Queen commented gently. “There’s not much out here in the way of food, you see.”

“This is more than alright!” Finn declared as he dug in without restraint, scarfing down his food as his sister scolded him for his manners.

“Miss Simone,” Bonnibel addressed as the others began to eat as well. “Can I ask… why do they call you the Ice Queen?”

The white-haired woman seemed surprised for a moment, before a small smile crossed her face. “I’m the only known witch to specialize in Ice Magic, specifically.” Curiously, the group listened to her as she explained. “There are many that specialize in water magic and I am adapt at that, as well, but I find that Ice Magic is much more beneficial. It really isn’t appreciated as much as it should be.”

“Is that how you’re keeping the wind off this place?” Finn asked with a mouthful of food, earning another glare from his sister.

“It is,” Simone replied with a smile. “It’s also what I’ll use to heal your friend. If everything goes right, I’ll even be able to heal the wounds with minimal scarring.”

Bonnibel let out a sound of awe, her eyes alight with excitement. She had always wanted to meet a real mage and the woman before them was not disappointing. Quietly, the girl wondered what the other knew about potions and if there was anything she could teach her about them, but she decided that it could wait until after Marshall Lee was cured.

They finished eating with a little bit of chit-chat and then the Ice Queen led them to their rooms. She explained that they’d only had time to make two rooms ready, so they’d be split up into groups of three (boys and girls separate), but no one seemed to have a problem with it.

“Now, let’s take a look at that burn, shall we?” The woman asked and Marshall instantly tensed, eyeing the other nervously. “Oh, are you shy? That’s alright, I can look at it just the two of us.” She glanced toward the group, earning a few nods before they all entered the girl’s room to admire it.

Quietly, Marshall thanked her and followed her into the room, only to stop and look around in awe.

It was about half the size as King Leimon’s had been, but it was still _massive_. Decorated with light blues and silvers, the style was appealing and the bed was by far big enough for the three of them to share.

“I get… to sleep in here?” He breathed in awe as the door closed behind him, no doubt the work of a penguin. The Ice Queen remained silent as he slowly began to walk around and take everything in, a sad smile on her face.

“You were a slave, weren’t you?” She asked after a few moments, catching his attention. “I can tell.”

The dark-haired boy frowned, avoiding eye contact as he looked to the floor. “How?”

“The bruises on your throat and wrist,” Simone explained as she motioned him over toward the bed. He complied without protest. “They’re almost gone, but still visible. Also, the way you carry yourself… like you’re unsure of the world. Like you are just waiting to be thrown back in chains and tortured once more.”

Marshall’s pale blue eyes lifted toward her, his mouth agape. Could she really read him that well?

“You’re a nymph, aren’t you?” The woman went on and at his numb nod, she gave a sad smile. “I’m so sorry for all you’ve gone through, Marshall Lee. You don’t deserve that.”

“That’s what every keeps saying,” The boy mumbled, lowering his eyes once more.

“Now, let’s see those burns, shall we?” She breathed and he gave a slow nod, carefully removing his upper clothing, along with the bandages, and closing his eyes as she took a look.

Slowly, Simone ran a finger across the burn (thankfully ignoring the upper half of his back). Instead of hurting, however, her touch was cold and almost seemed to ease some of the pain. “A flame dragon, hm?” She asked and the dark-haired nymph gave a slow nod. “He was aiming to kill, then. You were very fortunate to have survived.”

Marshall’s eyebrows shot up as the words drifted into his ears. For the moment he forgot about the burns as she inspected them, the ache in his tired body, or even the fact that he was sitting in a room fit for a noble.

Fortunate… He was fortunate, wasn’t he? Somehow, those flames hadn’t killed him, even though they should have. Even Aiden had said that he’d never seen anyone survive the skill… So why had he?

From what he knew of the blessing of nymph’s blood, it protected the drinker from harm and gave them unbelievable luck, earning them things that could only be considered blessings. His father had once told him that he’d blessed a friend with it and his friend’s wife had become pregnant, even though she’d never been able to before. It worked on the drinker, but also extended in part to the people that they loved, though the effects weren’t a strong.

Quietly, he let himself think about it for a few moments.

That attack should have killed him. There was no doubt about that. Yet somehow, he hadn’t suffered even life-threatening wounds, let alone death…

The only possible conclusion was that the very blood that had protected the Caramelo Prince from harm… had also protected him, as well.

The Ice Queen had long since leaned back, done inspecting the burns, but she had remained silent as he thought to himself. As he turned to look at her, she had a knowing smile on her slightly wrinkled face and she reached out, placing a gentle hand on top of his head. Then, without another word, the woman stood and left the room.

As the dark-haired boy sat there, his coat still wrapped around his waist, he heard the door open and was surprised as Bubba entered, an alarmed look on his face.

“Are you alright?” The Prince breathed, rushing over and kneeling down in front of the dark-haired boy, looking up at him with fear in his eyes. “She came out and said that you needed a moment… I know I should have left you alone but I was worried. Are the burns unhealable? You’re not going to die, are you?”

“Do you like me?”

The strawberry blonde’s worried face gave way to one of surprise and confusion. Marshall’s eyes were downcast and to his side, a gaze of wonder painted on his pale features as he blinked slowly, as if he were in a dream. “Excuse me?” The older boy questioned, wondering exactly what his companion was implying.

“You said we were friends…” The small boy whispered, his pale blue eyes slowly lifting to meet the confused violet ones. “But… do you like me?”

Bubba wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. The question had been so sudden and he couldn’t fathom where the thoughts were coming from… had he implied that he had feelings for the other boy beyond friendship at any point? Yet he didn’t find himself denying it, even as the other gazed at him with a look that made him seem so young, so frail…

“I don’t know,” He finally admitted, reaching out to wrap his arms around Marshall Lee’s neck and pull him down and against his shoulder. “I just want to keep you safe and never let you go.”

Letting out a slow breath, the younger boy closed his eyes and let himself lean into the touch. For some reason he felt safe and protected, as if he knew deep down that there was no way the other boy would ever harm him. As if deep down…

“Marshall?” The Prince gasped, suddenly standing up and moving behind his companion to take a glance at his back. Letting out a wince, the nymph cursed himself for not being smart enough to cover up as soon as he saw the taller boy come into the room. “W-what is this?”

Slowly, the strawberry blonde reached out and traced a few of the scars with one finger, feeling tears threaten to sting at his eyes.

Stretching across the top half of Marshall’s back (and he supposed the bottom half, though they were covered now by burns) were a detailed series of scars, cut deeply and meant to remain on the boy forever. There were thousands of them, some of them small and some longer… and together, they made the crest of the royal family of Caramelo.

The nymph pulled away and turned, hiding his back from his companion’s vision. He quickly pulled his jacket back over his shoulders, not caring that it painfully scratched his uncovered burns, and turned his gaze away.

“Oh god…” Bubba whispered, suddenly rushing forward and gathering the small boy into his arms. Marshall let out a surprised noise as the Prince buried his fingers into his hair and hid his face in the pale boy’s neck.

“It’s fine, dude,” He tried to assure as the strawberry blonde’s shoulders began to shake. “They’re old, okay? It’s not like they hurt anymore or anything…”

“Shut up, Marshall!”

The dark-haired boy jumped in surprise as his companion gripped his coat tightly in one fist, pulling him even closer.

“Stop acting so brave all the time,” The Prince wheezed, almost painfully. “It’s okay to show how you really feel, okay? You don’t need to put on that brave face all the time! Just… just be honest with me.”

Marshall’s shoulders relaxed as soon as these words left the older boy. He felt small, suddenly, in the other’s hold… almost like a child, being told it was okay to cry. Once again he felt protected and safe, but this time tears began to fill his eyes.

Why did Bubba have to say all that? Suddenly waves of emotion were overtaking his senses, memories of eleven years filling his mind. He remembered all of the fear, the pain, the suffering… it came anew, bursting out from where he’d pushed it down and overtaking him.

Before he realized it, he was collapsing into the other boy’s arms, a sob leaving him. Several more followed it as they slipped to their knees in the middle of the floor, his face buried in crook of the other’s neck as all of his emotions came pouring out.

He wanted to scream, to yell, to throw things… he wanted to curse the man who had done this to him, to hurt him like he’d been hurt. But instead he just wept, clinging to the strawberry blonde desperately, his entire body shaking as all of his frustration came pouring out.

Eventually his cries died down and he let himself just sit there, head resting against the other’s neck. One of Bubba’s hands was gently petting his hair while the other one rubbed his upper back, having slipped under the jacket back off his shoulders at some point. The Prince was silent, but Marshall preferred it that way… he didn’t want whispers of how it was going to be okay, he just wanted to be held and kept safe, as hard as it was to admit to himself.

“I do like you.”

The suddenness of the other’s admission made him jump in surprise. Slowly, the younger boy pulled away and reached up to wipe at his eyes, gaping at his companion in confusion.

Bubba met his eyes, a sad smile on his face. “I don’t know how to explain it,” He admitted. “But I do. You’re more than just a friend to me… I care about you like you’re my own family. I just want to protect you, to dry your tears… I want to show you that there’s more to this life the pain. I want to take your hand and show you all of the great things life has to offer you, Marshall Lee.”

“Burton…” The nymph whispered, his voice catching in a hiccup. Tears leaked down his cheeks once more, but the older boy reached out and wiped them away.

“I would be honored,” The older boy informed, before he pulled one knee up and bent his head down, one arm across his chest. The dark-haired boy gasped, one hand flying to his mouth as the Crowned Prince bowed to him, a lowly servant. “If you, Marshall Lee, would let me show you the joys of living.”


	12. My kingdom for... The scars we bear

Before Marshall could respond, there was a gentle knock on the door and it was pushed open, Marceline entering with Bonnibel in tow. The two girls looked surprised at the scene before them and shared a glance, before they held up their hands. “Sorry, we were just worried,” Bonnibel breathed. “We didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“D-Don’t worry about it,” The nymph boy whispered, dragging himself to his feet. After a moment he held out a hand for the still bowing Bubba, who smiled at him in return, obviously understanding what the action meant. As the strawberry blonde took the hand and got to his feet, Marshall mumbled, “Ice Queen, you can come in now.”

A few moments later the woman was sitting him on the bed, her back to him. This time he had allowed the others to enter as well, shocked looks on their faces (save for Bubba and Fionna, of course) as soon as their eyes laid upon his scarred back.

“If he wasn’t dead, I’d kill him,” Marceline hissed as her best friend gripped her hand. “In fact, I might just raise him from the ground just to kill him again.”

“You can do that?” Finn mumbled in surprise, though his question went unanswered.

Ice Queen placed a bowl of cold water on the bed and climbed onto the mattress beside Marshall, pushing up the sleeves of her gown. He nervously watched her for a moment, only to turn around when she prompted it.

“It’s going to be very cold,” The woman explained. “But it will probably feel good. You might feel a bit of discomfort, however, and perhaps a bit of pinching. That’s the magic working to repair the damaged tissue. I’ve never had to heal a flame dragon’s burns before, but I should be able to leave minimal scarring.”

“Don’t worry about that,” He responded, feeling very exposed with everyone’s eyes on his bare back. The feeling was uncomfortable in the pit of his stomach, twisting around and making him feel sick.

With a solemn nod, the woman began to twist her fingers around, almost as if she were trying to make them dance. The group watched in awe as the water from the bowl lifted into the air and twisted around her fingers, before freezing instantly.

Slowly, the Ice Queen pressed her ice-covered hands against Marshall’s back and the group watched as the liquid began to melt away almost instantly. As it did, it began to give off a faint blue glow, soaking into the burns.

The dark-haired boy let out a slow, uncomfortable breath, but his discomfort was eased suddenly as Bubba took a seat in front of him and laid a gentle hand on his knee with a reassuring smile.

Inch by inch, Simone covered Marshall’s back with frozen water and inch by inch, the burns seemed to lessen. Once one part had dried she would go over it again, each time the magic weaving into a layer of charred skin and repairing it deep down.

It took nearly an hour, but eventually the woman finished up and wiped at her forehead with the back of her hand. She’d refilled the bowl three times and it was nearly empty again, but there was nothing more she could do by way of magic now.

“It will still ache for a few days,” She explained as the dark-haired boy tried to glance over his shoulder. “And it scarred worse than I thought I’m afraid, but it could have been much worse.”

The group moved out of the way as he stood and approached the large mirror standing on the other side of the room. Silently, everyone held their breath as the young man turned around and glanced over his shoulder, inspecting the damage.

Slowly, a smile crossed Marshall Lee’s face. Then it broke into a grin, before he let out a single, satisfied laugh.

“Marshall?” Marceline inquired, carefully crossing the room and approaching her brother.

“It’s gone,” The younger nymph breathed, his shoulders relaxing as he turned to look at his sister, still smiling widely. “It’s gone, Marcy!”

“What’s gone?” She asked, looking over his shoulder at his reflection.

As he did the same, her brother pointed toward his lower back, which was covered in deep red markings, the skin pulled tight and agitated. Her eyes then trailed to his upper back, where the royal family crest was still cut deep into his skin…

The older realized, then, exactly what he meant. His old scars were gone, replaced by new ones. The memories of old were wiped clean and replaced with new ones, ones that had a fonder meaning behind them.

“I think it’s time you got some rest,” the Ice Queen cut in, a gentle smile on her face as she stood, gathering up her bowl of water. “ _All_ of you.”

“Man, it’ll be so nice to sleep in a _bed_ tonight!” Finn cried, stretching his arms above his head with a slow yawn. “Hey, dudes… you don’t mind if Jake crashes on the bed with us, do you?”

“That’s cool with me,” Marshall answered as he pulled his coat back over his body momentarily to block out the cold that he was suddenly aware of. “Burton?”

Ignoring the surprised look on his sister’s face (as _no one_ called him by his real name without a title before it anymore, let alone so casually), Bubba made a show of a sour expression. “I don’t even _like_ dogs.”

“Oh come on, PG!” The blonde-haired teen cried, a pout on his lips.

As Fionna laughed (having obviously guessed that her cousin was kidding), the Prince frowned in confusion. “PG?”

The younger boy seemed surprised for a moment, before he grinned. “Well, see… Fionna calls you Prince Gumball, so I figured I’d just shorten it. You know, PG. And then your sister’s PB. Super simple, right?”

“I like it,” Bonnibel admitted with a soft smile.

“Then that’s all that matters!” Finn declared, reaching over to smack Bubba on the back with a wide grin. “Right, PG?”

As they laughed amongst themselves, Marceline took a moment to pull her younger brother into a hug. She realized, then, that she hadn’t really had a moment to just sit down and spend some time with him, too busy rushing him off to be healed.

Mentally, the young woman made note to sit him down the next day and just… _talk_ to him for a little while. She wanted to know all about his thoughts, his hopes, his dreams… not to mention why he seemed so at ease with the Prince, when they barely knew each other.

At that moment, however, it was time to say farewell for a while so that they could all get some much-needed rest. Although it was still only mid-afternoon, the group of adventurers were all exhausted and ready to sleep.

And so the girls each gave their brothers a hug (and in Fionna’s case, her cousin and good friend as well) and they parted ways, returning to their own room.

It was nearly a match to the other one, although the furnishings were a deep magenta instead of blue. The bed was far too big, even for the three of them, but it seemed plush and for that they were thankful.

“I didn’t really bring anything to sleep in,” Fionna admitted, her cheeks a bit pink as the other two girls looked at each other. “In fact, I don’t have any other clothes but these ones.”

“I don’t either,” Bonnibel confessed, before looking toward her dark-haired best friend. “And I guess you wouldn’t, so…”

“So…” Marceline whispered, not seeming to catch on for a few moments. Then, suddenly, her entire face turned red and her eyes went wide. “W-wait, you mean-!?”

“We’re all girls here, Marceline,” Bonnibel replied, even though her cheeks were flushed as well.

“Well, I for one don’t want to sleep in these gross clothes,” Fionna admitted as she crossed the room and stood on the other side of the bed, starting to strip off her large jacket.

“You’ve even dressed me before, so I don’t know what you’re making a fuss about…” The Princess continued, turning her back to her best friend as she unbuttoned her own coat.

The nymph didn’t reply, knowing that any words she spoke would come out as little more than a choked sound. It was different now that she realized she had feelings for the strawberry blonde, but she couldn’t exactly admit that out loud.

Her bottom lip in her mouth, Marceline couldn’t help but stare as Bonnibel stripped down to her bottom layer of travel clothes. She forced herself to look away, however, as the other girl quickly pulled them off and jumped under the blankets beside Fionna, who was on the other side of the bed.

“C’mon, Marcy,” Fionna mumbled as the sunlight in the room began to fade. Cake had curled up beside her, beneath the blankets, purring loudly. “Let’s just get some sleep, okay?”

“R-right…” The nymph whispered, before she undressed as quickly as possible and practically leapt into the bed, thankful that she at least had on her underwear still.

As the last bits of light melted away, the three girls began to drift off into a comfortable sleep.

* * *

Finn was a snorer, it seemed. He had practically passed out on the other side of the bed, still dressed in his traveling clothes, with Jake snoozing on top of his chest.

On the other side, Bubba had shed his outer clothing and was dressed in his maroon trousers and a pale pink button up, lying beside a similar clad Marshall Lee (though the boy was wearing black and grey). The nymph had quickly fallen asleep, but the Prince had settled for watching him as he rested, a smile on his face.

The dark-haired boy looked much younger while he was sleeping… innocent, as if the hardness of the real world had yet to touch him. He seemed at peace, for once, and the older boy found himself surprised that his companion didn’t seem to be having any sort of nightmare.

Still, he watched for a bit longer before he was satisfied that the other boy would not wake up and need him, before he moved quietly forward. Careful not to wake his companion, the Prince slipped one arm under Marshall’s head and wrapped the other gently around his body, holding him close.

At least this way if the younger did wake up, he would already safely be in his arms.

A gentle smile on his face, Prince Burton allowed himself to drift off to sleep, the worries of the world gone for that single moment in time.

* * *

The next morning, Marceline was the first to wake. She found herself drifting out of sleep as the sunlight broke through the window and carefully climbed from the bed, dressing back in her clothing (all while taking note of how utterly disgusting they were and how badly they needed a good wash).

She was quiet even as she pushed open the door and crossed over to the boy’s shared room, hoping they weren’t dressed down like the occupants of her own room were. Thankfully, however, when she pushed open the door she found then still pretty much dressed, save for a lack of coats.

Marshall Lee lifted his eyes from where he was lying in bed beside Bubba, who had his arms wrapped tightly around him. The Prince appeared to be asleep, but from the clear look in her brother’s eyes it seemed he’d been awake for some time.

Trying to hide his flushed face, the younger sibling carefully removed himself from the sleeping man’s hold and slipped out of bed, pushing his delicate shoes back onto his feet and crossing the room to join his sister.

They walked silently down the hallway until they spotted the open door of a sitting room and entered, curling up in two chairs. Immediately as they sat down, the fireplace sprang to life, surprising both of them. After a few moments, Marcy let out a breath of, “Probably magic…” and they both relaxed once more.

An awkward silence fell and the dark-haired woman let out a slow breath, eyeing her brother carefully as if to size him up. Those few moments she’d seen him awake before Aiden had shown up weren’t really telling of how he was and although she’d heard about what had happened between he and King Leimon, it wasn’t like they’d had much of a chance to talk about it.

He was starting to look a bit healthier now, though only just. He was still far too tiny and the bruises dotting his throat and wrists were fading, but still visible. His face was still scratched up from the fight with the Fire King and as he bit his lip, she noticed there was a fresh cut on it.

Finally, when the silence became too much, she spoke. “Thank you.”

His pale blue eyes turned toward her, though it was obvious he was fighting hard not to look away. “For what?”

“Coming to save me,” The older replied, a sad smile crossing her face. “For going to Bonnie and bringing her and Bubba after me. For… for everything.”

Marshall Lee appeared almost insulted as he looked at her, frowning in return. “Of course. You’re my sister, Marcy. I wasn’t about to give up and lose you again.”

Slowly, the girl let out a breath and felt herself deflate, her own eyes lowering. “I didn’t want to leave.”

“You had to. I understand.”

Marceline shook her head, her shoulders becoming tense. “I mean… back then. I didn’t want to leave you. When they captured me… I fought _hard_. I tried my best to get back to you, Marshall Lee. But I guess it was all in vain because they got you too…”

She felt a presence at her side as he leaned in and placed a hand on her shoulder. His expression was one of sadness, though a ghostly smile was on his pale features. “I don’t blame you,” The younger nymph admitted, softly. “For any of it, Marceline. _Any_ of it.”

Of course… he was always a smart one. He’d seen through her, realized that she was blaming herself for everything that had happened to him. If she’d only been stronger, if she’d only broken free… Maybe he wouldn’t have gone through all of those years of torture, maybe he’d be safe at home, protected and happy…

“You can spend a life time thinking about the what-ifs,” Her brother went on, leaning back and laying his hands in his lap. “Believe me. I spent a long time thinking about them when I was alone in there. But eventually, there comes a point where you need to realize that they’re just that. What-ifs. There’s nothing you can do to change the past, _nothing_ , so you need to focus on the here and now, along with the future. Maybe you couldn’t break free and get to me then, Marcy…” He caught her eyes once more, his gaze more intense then anyone’s she’d ever held before. “But I’m here right now and isn’t that what matters?”

A fresh wave of feelings hit her hard and slowly she smiled, forcing back a sob. He was right. Maybe she hadn’t saved him back then, but here he was, right in front of her, alive and finally safe. What point was there in dwelling on the past when she could enjoy their time now?

For a few moments they spent just quietly talking about what she’d been doing while he was imprisoned and she explained that she had become Bonnibel’s personal servant. She admitted that she’d only been hurt a few times before all of the sudden being pulled from her ‘training’ and being shoved into Bonnibel’s room. The younger nymph realized then that the King had kept his word, keeping her from ‘harm’ (so to speak) by giving her to the Princess.

“I always made sure to sing every day,” Marceline admitted almost shyly, leaning back in her chair and wishing she had a steaming cup of soup or something. It was getting a little cold in there and she hadn’t brought her jacket. “Even if it was just humming, which I guess isn’t _really_ singing, but I always tried.”

“Really?” He breathed, before he slowly grinned. “Me too!” At her surprised face, Marshall Lee laughed lightly. “It kept my spirits up, even through tough times. I was always singing to myself when I wasn’t busy. I was singing when Burton found me, even, though I don’t think he heard.”

Suddenly his sister was leaning in close, wiggling her fine eyebrows with a devious grin on her face. He realized too late what she was about to ask and his entire face flushed as she purred, “What’s up with you and the Prince there anyways, Marshall?”

“N-Nothing!” He declared, turning away. He betrayed himself a few moments later, however, as he buried his face into his hands.

“You _like_ him!” She gasped, before she fell back in her chair with a loud laugh. “Oh gosh, that’s so _cute_! So like, he rescued you and you fell for him? You’re like a damsel in distress!”

“It’s not funny!” Marshall declared, his entire face red as his sister laughed. “What about you, huh? I can _tell_ you like the Princess!” Instantly she stopped laughing, her mouth falling open in alarm. “What, you think you’re not obvious? The way you avoided her so much? I’m surprised you didn’t just propose right then!”

It was Marceline’s turn to blush, now, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t turn this around on me, Marshall Lee Abadeer! We’re still talking about _you_!” Slowly, the happy mood crawled into one of sadness and a frown crossed her face. “Besides, you actually have a _chance_. Bubba is totally smitten with you, I can tell, whereas Bonnie…”

“Nearly kicked our asses when we didn’t rush off to save you instantly,” The younger sibling finished, giving his sister a sad smile. “She cares about you too, Marcy. You just need to _tell_ her and give her a chance.”

The older nymph let out an annoyed noise and turned her head away, letting her long hair spill over her shoulder and hang in her face. “Well, it’s not like it matters anyway. I mean, they’re _royalty_ , Marsh. And we’re just…”

Pale blue eyes fell as the other realized how right she was. He glanced down at his bruised wrists, before slowly reaching to pull his sleeves down over them. “Slaves,” He finished.

“Maybe not anymore,” Marceline whispered, turning her own eyes toward the fire before closing them. “But we’re not nobles and we’re certainly not royalty.”

Silence fell between them for some time, almost suffocating and pulling the air from their very lungs. They could both feel the tension circling around them, sucking all hope from their bodies.

No matter how much they cared for the royal siblings, they could never be together. And that in itself was enough to leave the two of them in an uncomfortable silence for the rest of the morning, until the Ice Queen came and found them.


	13. My kingdom for... A warmth like no other

The hike through the mountains was much easier than the journey there had been. They’d learned the evening of their second day that there was a hidden passage behind Simone’s castle that lead straight _through_ the middle of the mountain, coming out the other side to a tiny village just on the outskirts of Caramelo’s capitol, Kandi.

It hadn’t been a particularly eventful hike, through it was long and dark, lit only by an army of torches that the woman had sent with them. They’d spent it in silence, for the most part, a sort of gloomy air seeming to fall over the group.

The royal siblings were suddenly aware of just how much they would have to deal with when they returned home, Bubba in particular. He had, in fact, run out on his coronation and he had no doubts that his people were furious. It was beyond his comprehension, how much talking and explaining would get their trust once again, and he wouldn’t be surprised if they came to protest his crowning.

Bonnibel was worried about her engagement to Aiden and what exactly would happen between her kingdom and his. Yes, Aiden had helped them in the long run, but that didn’t mean the Prince would be willing to marry her still, or even just be on friendly terms with her brother and his rule. The boy was young, far too young to be a king but he hadn’t had much choice in the matter.

Their nymph friends were obviously in a state of depression, their eyes downcast and their heads hung low. It was still a fact that they were considered slaves, at least until officially released by their masters in front of a witness of noble or royal blood. They had no doubts that if the eyes of their friends were to fall off of them for just a moment, they would be thrown back into imprisonment and taught a ‘lesson’ for their attempts to escape.

On top of that, they were certain that while their feelings for the royal brother and sister were strong, they would not be accepted and ultimately, there would be heart break at some point.

The only ones that seemed free of worry were the Merten siblings, who chatted silently to themselves and their faithful pets, walking some distance ahead of their companions and trying their best not to get sucked into the pessimistic atmosphere.

“I see light ahead,” Fionna called, her eyes turning back to the group of worriers as she brushed a lock of blonde hair from her eyes. “Looks like we’re almost there, everyone!”

Instead of excitement meeting her words, it only seemed do upset the others more, their shoulders falling and sighs tumbling from their lips. The girl and her brother let out a series of short, nervous laughs, before they turned and pressed ahead as quickly as they could.

The sunlight was stinging as they reached the entrance way to the cave, blinding them momentarily. As their vision began to clear, however, the miserable state of the four companions began to lift instantly as they took in the view around them.

The large rocks opened up into a field of color, freshly bloomed flowers filling the ground to the brim and blowing slightly in a gentle breeze. To the left was a small pond, a waterfall tumbling into it and various wild life drinking from its splendors. The trees were thick around them, but just ahead they could see a small, stone pathway that no doubt lead up to the tiny village that came just before Kandi.

The whole place seemed magical and though it was really nothing more than a small area filled with nature, somehow it lifted the spirits of the group to new heights.

Bubba realized that though his people may be upset with him at first, he had many years to rule as king and he would gain their respect through his future actions, the past be damned. He had good reason to do what he did and he would not back down on that… he would _make_ them understand, no matter how many words it took.

Bonnibel realized that while their connection with the Flame Kingdom might be on rocky terms, there was nothing that a diplomatic answer could not solve. Aiden had strained himself to overthrow his father and avoid war, there was no way he would be unwilling to accept some sort of truce. He wanted discomfort between them about as much as she did.

Marceline and Marshall Lee came to the realization together, silently, that although they may be slaves, their friends would not allow them to be hurt once again. They had gone through hell and back to keep them safe, they would not allow them to fall into danger once more. Furthermore, even if their feelings were cast aside, the best they could ask for was to be beside the ones they cared for.

“This place is great!” Finn declared, rushing over to the small pond with a laugh, his canine companion rushing beside him, cheerful barks trailing after him. “It’s beautiful here, man! I could spend all day here!”

“As much as I’d love to, I think this journey has reached its end,” Bubba addressed, holding his head high and smiling gently at his companions. “Now, let’s make our way to Kandi and get everything in order.”

“And take a bath,” Marceline commented, earning laughter all around.

Together they approached the small village and although at first people only stopped to stare, it seemed suddenly that they realized just who was amongst them because whispers fell from their lips and they began to bow out of respect.

Quite used to these responses, the royal siblings didn’t seem to notice the discomfort of their four friends, who frowned at the kneeling people with wishes that they would rise once more.

“Excuse me, madam,” The Prince addressed a young woman as they approached the stables. She let out a small gasp and only nodded in response, obviously shocked by his appearance there. “I’m afraid my companions and I have lost our horses along our way. Could I ask to borrow three of yours? I will of course have them returned and compensate you for your trouble.”

“O-of yours, Your Royal Highness!” She practically squeaked, before she rushed off to get the horses ready as quickly as possible.

“Do people usually act like this around you?” Fionna whispered toward her cousins, who gave twin nods in response. “Jeeze, talk about uncomfortable…”

“No doubt they would act like that to you too if they knew who you were,” Marceline informed and the blonde gave her a sour look in response. She was right, however – if they were aware of the other girl’s relation to the King, she would no doubt be just as respected.

Only a few moments later the young woman returned, three large horses in tow. The Prince thanked her for her cooperation once more and turned toward his companions, smiling. “Ready to return home?”

“More than ready,” His sister replied with a small smile, before she quickly mounted her horse and helped Marceline onto its back.

“Will you be okay?” Bubba asked Marshall, motioning to the horse. “It won’t be uncomfortable for your scars, will it?”

“No more than it was before, when they weren’t scars,” The dark-haired boy responded, before he was suddenly aware of all of the eyes upon them and slowly lowered his own. “…Your highness.”

The strawberry blonde looked almost offended as he climbed upon his steed and held out a hand. “You never need to address me like that, Marshall Lee.”

Whispers left the villagers as the Prince helped his dark-haired companion onto their shared horse and began to lead the way back to the palace, the others just behind him. Quickly the word spread through the village like wildfire, before it began to leak out and head after them, like a stalker in the night.

 “Did you see how he acted with that boy?”

“The Prince has fallen for someone!”

“Tell everyone you see… Prince Burton is in love!”

* * *

The people watched in awe as they rode their horses through main street, heads held high and hearts racing (at least, in the case of the two dark-haired nymphs). As they inched closer and closer to the palace gates, they could hear whispers amongst the people as they peered at them curiously from where their heads were bowed.

There was a sudden yelp of surprise before Marshall Lee hit the ground and was immediately grabbed by two palace guards. They pinned his wrists behind his back and didn’t bother to be gentle even as he gasped in pain.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Bubba cried as Marceline let out an angry hiss but did not advance, Bonnibel’s hand on her arm stopping her. “Unhand him at once!”

“This boy is dangerous, My Lord,” A guard on the other side of his horse addressed, catching the Prince’s attention. There were several more of them there and one of them had a spear in hand, appearing to have been the one to knock Marshall from the horse with the blunt end of his weapon. “We have orders to obtain him and place him under arrest.”

“Under who’s decree!?” The strawberry blonde snapped as he dismounted his steed and approached the two men holding Marshall. Despite his small stature, the young man appeared fierce and the guards seemed to cringe under his gaze. “I demand to know, immediately!”

“Your mother’s, sir,” One of the men whispered, avoiding eye contact.

Bonnibel let out a small gasp and her brother began to growl, actually baring his teeth for a few moments before he regained his composure.

Gathering his wits about him, Bubba straightened his shoulders and addressed the men before him, holding out one hand almost gracefully. “Release him to me.”

“Your Highness?” The man behind him questioned rather stiffly, his gaze intense as he stared openly at the young Prince.

“My say has more merit then the Queen’s,” The young man stated calmly, stepping closer. The guards did not try to stop him as he took hold of Marshall’s arm and pulled him from their grasp. “And I am declaring now that anyone, _anyone_ who mistreats either Marshall Lee or his sister once again will be subject to punishment.” Turning, his deep violet eyes seemed almost black with intensity as he gazed upon the guard’s leader. “Is that understood?”

Slowly, the group of men began to bow as they let out short breaths of, “Yes, Your Royal Highness.” Grasping Marshall’s hand in his own, Bubba began to walk toward the palace, his head held high. His sister began to follow atop her steed, taking his horses’ reigns in her hand in order to lead it as they approached.

* * *

The Queen was alarmed at the sudden slap she received moments after welcoming her children home. Instead of hugs and tears about how worried she had been, she lifted a hand to her cheek and stared in shock at her son’s angry expression.

“How _dare_ you,” The boy breathed venomously, taking a step back and shaking out his hand rather ungracefully. “You know as well as I do, mother, that Marshall Lee is no danger to myself or to others. So _why_ , in heaven’s name, did you have him _arrested_ as soon as we entered the city!?”

Identical looks of shock met the faces of everyone present, save for the Prince himself. No one had expected him to speak out to his mother, let alone in such anger. Yet the young man was practically hissing venom, a rage covering his features that no one had ever seen before.

“You know, you _know_ that Marshall Lee is innocent,” Bubba went on, pointing one delicate hand behind himself and toward the dark-haired young man, who cowered in response. “Yet you had the guards _cease_ him from right under my nose!?

“He attacked you-” Queen Honey began, only to be cut off as her son thrust one finger into her face, silencing her.

“He was _raped_ ,” The Prince huffed, his breathing heavy and his mind too far gone in anger to think about what he was revealing. “And _tortured_ by your husband and you did nothing, _nothing_ to stop it!” The gasps that fell around them were lost on his deaf ears. “Yet you can stand there right in front of him and tell him that _he_ is the dangerous one!?”

“Bubba-” Bonnibel choked as Marceline pulled her to her chest.

“You make me _sick_ ,” Bubba sneered, before opening his mouth to spew more hate.

Then suddenly, far too thin and pale arms wrapped around his waist from behind and he stilled instantly, all of his anger seeming to flush from his body.

Marshall Lee hugged his strawberry blonde companion closer to his chest, burring his face into the Prince’s back. His fingers gripped the other’s dirty clothes tightly and although he couldn’t see them, Bubba could sense the tears that were leaking from the nymph’s clear blue eyes.

He didn’t have to say anything for the Prince to understand the action. It was a plea, a silent cry for him to stop what he was doing. It was a way of saying, _it’s not worth it_. And it was a way of begging him to move on and let it go.

Slowly, Bubba turned around and gathered his companion into his arms, hugging the younger boy to his chest. He ignored the eyes baring into his back as he stood there for a few moments, just enjoying the feel of the one he cared about in his arms, before he gave a solid nod and looked at the friends he’d traveled with for so long. “Let’s get some baths in, shall we?”

Without a word, they all slowly nodded their heads and followed him from the sitting room.

* * *

“And if you need anything, I will be right outside this door.”

As he nodded, Pepper bowed and left the room, a sad smile on her aging face. He watched her go numbly, holding the soft linen she’d given him in both hands and numbly standing in his spot for a few moments.

Bubba had gladly given up his own bathing room for Marshall Lee to use, but the memories were too fresh in his mind for such a sweet act to help them. Just being within the vicinity of the King’s room opened up metaphorical wounds and he found it hard to breath, even as he turned and stared at the large bathtub filled with warm water.

As he started to pull his clothes from his body, he imagined rough fingers ripping them to shreds as they were removed. As he stepped into the warm water, he remembered intense eyes watching him with hunger as he did the same, before their owner would join him in the tub and the whole point of him bathing would be lost.

His breath was coming in short, shaking gasps and he closed his eyes, trying his best to remember other things. Marceline’s laugh, Bubba’s smile… but no matter how much he tried, the only thing he could imagine was a pair of large hands as they dragged him through hell and back.

 _I love it when you cry_.

All of the strength he’d gathered over their journey poured from his eyes as tears began to fall. A sob left his lips, followed by an army of more, and he buried his face into his hands, falling to pieces as he soaked numbly in the hot water.

* * *

It had taken some time for the group to finish bathing, changing, and eating. They hadn’t had time to sit and chat, each swept up in their own thing and torn away from one another by this or that.

Bubba had almost immediately been pulled into council, as soon as they’d heard he had returned. His father’s advisors were furious with him, but he didn’t let it anger him. They had every right to be mad and while they had been the man’s council throughout the kingdom’s years of hardship, they had never really agreed with the King’s rule. The Prince had to assume that it was the nymph’s blood that was causing them to never raise a concern to their King, because as far as he knew not a single one of these men liked the way Leimon had run his kingdom.

“I understand that my disappearance was of great inconvenience,” He explained after they had all gathered, standing before them with his head held high. “However, in my journey I traveled to the Fire Kingdom in order to stop a war from breaking out between our kingdoms.” Whispers followed his words as the men looked between themselves. “Furthermore, I helped Prince Aiden to overthrow his father’s rule and retrieve rule of his country.”

“We know all that, Your Royal Highness,” One of them stated and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. “His Majesty, King Aiden had a young scout named Flambo return your horses. He brought with him a story of how you had helped his kingdom, along with a decree that our two kingdoms will always be in peace with one another.”

Bubba was pleasantly caught off guard by these words. Aiden had done such a thing? He knew the boy must have been thankful that they had aided him in his people’s time of need, but had he really declared everlasting peace between Caramelo and the Flame Kingdom?

After the initial shock wore off, the council opened up a world of disorder as they began to speak about rushing the crowning ceremony and what they could do to gain the trust of the people back. It all seemed to be too hurried and the Prince was left feeling extremely confused about the whole thing. He decided that he would simply allow his men to do what they thought was best, taking a seat and listening in with half an ear.

He couldn’t help but let his mind wander, however. How was Marshall Lee doing? He hadn’t seen him since their return back to the palace and he was beginning to worry. He had asked Pepper to look after the boy, but being in the castle once again had to be hurting the nymph. The young man could only hope that he would be set free soon… he wanted nothing more than to be at his loved one’s side, comforting him and protecting him from his memories.

Sadly, it would be some time before he could do such a thing.

* * *

Marceline and Bonnibel had met up somewhere along the way and found themselves in one of the sitting rooms, just relaxing by a fire and enjoying the feeling of cleanliness that surrounded them.

They hadn’t said much to each other, but they didn’t feel that they really needed to. It was a time to relax after a long travel and they were soaking it in as best they could, smiles on their faces and the feeling of completeness in each other’s presence wrapping them like a warm blanket.

A few moments later they heard the sound of whispers and frowns crossed their features as they gazed at one another curiously. Slowly, Bonnibel rose from her chair and crossed the room, taking the double door handles in both hands and pulling them open gently.

A group of young girls paused in their whispers and turned to gaze up at her in awe, excitement in their sparkling eyes. A sigh left the Princess’ lips and she moved to the side, allowing the three noble teens entrance.

“Your Highness!” The girls cried as they followed her in, nearly bouncing in their heels as she closed the door after them.

“We’re so glad to have you back!” A blonde with somewhat squinted eyes breathed, her cheeks flushed. “We were worried.”

“You must be so tired from your travels,” A girl with coppery red hair whispered with a dreamy look in her eyes, clutching the skirt of her raspberry colored dress in both hands.

“Whatever, who cares about her travels?” A young woman with almost violet black hair practically sneered, crossing her arms over her rather large chest. “I want to hear if the rumors are true!”

“What rumors, Elespi?” Bonnibel inquired, noting the way the three girls looked at each other with almost devious glances.

“Well first, it’s been going around that you are going to release Marceline,” Elespi stated, before she seemed to realize that the woman in question was also in the room. “Oh, he~ey Marceline!”

From her place in the chair, Marceline rolled her eyes. Those three girls were always hanging around the palace. Their fathers were all part of the King’s court and their presence was always an annoying reminder that council was being held somewhere in the palace.

“Which is totally cool, but whatever,” Elespi continued, waving a hand in the air to show that she didn’t really care. “But, like, the other one is the juicy one!”

The other two girls nodded enthusiastically and Bonnibel frowned, looking back to her best friend, only to earn a confused shrug. “What on earth are you girls talking about?”

“Your brother!” The girl in raspberry cried, clenching her hands together over her heart with a wistful sigh. “He’s in love!”

“W-what?!” The Princess cried, her eyes going wide. “W-where on earth did you get that idea!?”

“Uh, hello?” Elespi scoffed. “It’s been going around the kingdom! Everyone’s talking about this mysterious dark-haired boy that the Prince is all in love with and whatever!”

“He sounds like a dream,” The blonde whispered, her cheeks flushing even more.

“So, like, is it true or what? Because I’ve got some people that are wondering and I told them I’d ask you,” The violet-haired girl stated, crossing her arms over her chest once more.

Letting out a nervous laugh, Bonnibel quickly shooed the protesting young girls out of the room and practically slammed the door behind them, alarm on her features.

“Smooth, Bonnie,” Marceline laughed as she stood and approached the panicking young woman.

“What was I supposed to say!?” The strawberry blonde cried, turning to look at her friend with a frown. “It’s not my right to reveal my brother’s love life to a bunch of kids!”

“So he _is_ in love!” They heard Elespi cry from outside the door and the Princess let out a curse toward the thin door as the three noble girls ran away from it, laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -The blonde haired noble is Turtle Princess.
> 
> -The red-headed noble is Raspberry Princess.
> 
> -Elespi is LSP.


	14. My kingdom for... You

It wasn’t until well into the next morning that Bubba was able to see Marshall Lee again and by that time, the young nymph was fast asleep in the Prince’s bed. Pepper had explained with a sorrowful expression that she’d found the boy sobbing in the cooled bathtub almost two hours after he’d entered and she’d put him to bed right away, giving him a hot cup of tea to help him sleep.

Slipping into his pajamas as silently as possible, the strawberry blonde carefully climbed into the bed and curled up against his companion’s back, wrapping an arm around his thin waist. He momentarily wondered if the other would awake and become frightened, but that fear was cut short as the other’s clear blue eyes slowly blinked open.

“Hey,” Marshall sighed, obviously exhausted, his eyes still stained red from tears. “Long meeting?”

“Very,” Bubba whispered, tugging the other boy even closer against himself, before leaning in to kiss the top of his head. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t here for you, Marshall Lee.”

“You’re a prince, dude. It’s to be expected,” The younger boy yawned, snuggling up to his strawberry blonde-haired companion with a content sigh. “You have duties, I completely understand.”

With a quiet hum, the taller pulled his loved one close and listened as the other began to drift off once again. He let his mind wander as he tried in vain to fall asleep as well.

The crowning would be coming up in two nights and then what? He would be caught up in his duties as a new King, leaving Marshall alone and afraid. What could he do to occupy the young man’s time, so that the fear and loneness wouldn’t consume his mind?

He realized, then, that the other boy could benefit from many things that the world had to offer and a smile crossed his face. Yes, of course… it seemed so simple. He would hire tutors, the best around, and have them teach the other boy all of the lessons he’d been taught growing up. Reading, writing, horseback… perhaps even sword fighting, though he knew his companion could easily defend himself.

Surely being swept up in lessons would dampen the memories that were beginning to surface? He had no doubts that this was the correct way to go about things and with a stern nod into Marshall’s shoulder, Bubba finally let himself drift off to sleep, his arms wrapped around the person he cared for more than anyone else.

* * *

“Fionna!”

The blonde haired girl glanced up from her seat with a large smile as her cousin approached, Marceline alongside her. The strawberry-blonde haired Princess was grinning as well as she looked over the scene before her with a small laugh.

Although Fionna didn’t care much for the pampering that had been offered to them, Cake had taken well to being treated like a royal. The feline was currently enjoying a nice brushing and being fed treats by a few of the servants, who were laughing and enjoying the cat’s company. They all bowed respectfully to their Princess before returning to Cake’s side with smiles on their faces.

“I assume Jake is the same way?” Marceline sighed with a smile and the blonde-haired girl nodded in response, smiling over at her pet fondly.

“I hope she doesn’t expect this when we go home,” Fionna laughed. “I’m not doing this for her, that’s for sure!”

“Oh yes, about that!” Bonnibel chirped as she took a seat across from her cousin, Marceline at her side. “Bubba and I were hoping you would stay for his crowning ceremony! It’s supposed to be tomorrow, I believe.”

With a grin, the other girl gave a nod. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Bubblegum!”

“I’m so glad!” The Princess declared before they all began to laugh as Cake began to purr so loudly they were surprised all of Caramelo couldn’t hear it.

* * *

Somehow, Bubba had managed to spend a little bit of time in the morning with Marshall. They’d dressed and gone down to get breakfast, where they’d met up with a few members of the council who were doing the same.

“Oh, this is the perfect opportunity,” The Prince breathed as he took his loved one’s hand and led him over to where the men were seated. A few of the men glanced up at him in surprise and Marshall quickly bowed to them, his cheeks flushed with nervousness. “Lord Cinnamon, Lord Beemou, I would like to introduce Marshall Lee Abadeer.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Abadeer,” Beemou stated with a warm smile, while Cinnamon smiled rather lazily. “The Prince had told us quite a bit about you.”

His cheeks ablaze with embarrassment now, Marshall only managed to nod quickly, struggling not to duck behind Bubba. It was one thing talking to Pepper and the other servants, it was another to be speaking to _nobles_ , not to mention members of Bubba’s council!

“As you both are aware, Marshall’s status is currently one of a slave,” Bubba informed, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his dark-haired friend’s shoulder. “And I’m in need of at least one noble to denounce that status officially.”

“Oh by all means, Your Highness!” Beemou cried as he stood swiftly, turning to face them with a respectful bow before smiling once more.

With a quick clear of his throat, Bubba stood up straight and held his head high. “Lord Beemou, I bring before you Marshall Lee, slave of King Leimon.” He tried to ignore the way the nymph cringed at the name. “In the King’s absence I, Prince Burton, am releasing him from his bounds to the Kingdom. Do you, kind sir, agree to be my witness?”

“I do, your Highness,” The noble informed, offering Marshall Lee a gentle look of encouragement.

“Then it shall be noted. Marshall Lee Abadeer, I hear by officially release you from your bounds.” Turning, Bubba grinned openly at the dark-haired young man, who tried his best to return the smile.

“T-thank you, Your Highness,” He whispered, his eyes drifting to the floor once more.

Slowly, a careful hand reached out to cup his chin and lift his eyes once more. Bubba offered a gentle up turn of his lips as he leaned in close, whispering, “I told you… you don’t have to call me that.”

The only response the other could offer was a soft sigh as the Prince pulled away and addressed a maid in order to acquire some sort of breakfast.

After their meal was over the strawberry blonde young man was forced to return to his duties, but not before addressing his loved one. “I’m afraid I have to leave you once again, but I’ll see to it that Pepper watches after you.”

“I understand,” Marshall assured, trying his best to console Bubba’s heartbroken expression.

“Oh, and one more thing,” The older man breathed before he left, catching the dark-haired boy’s eyes. “I was thinking about bringing in some tutors to teach you, after things are settled. You know, things like reading, writing… would you like that?”

The nymph’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. He hadn’t expected a question like that, especially not one asked so casually. Was Bubba really thinking about that sort of thing…? He felt his cheeks light up and he moved his eyes away, trying in vain to hide his embarrassment.

Learning how to read and write _would_ be nice. He’d never had a chance to, being locked up for so long and before that simply surviving on the streets. His parents had taught him a few things before they’d died but the best he could hope to do was write his own name and he wasn’t even sure he could remember how to do that after all these years.

Not wanting to leave the other without an answer, the dark-haired boy slowly nodded, letting out a soft whisper of, “I’d like that.” He didn’t miss the large smile that crossed his companion’s face as Bubba nodded and bid him farewell, returning to his duties once more.

* * *

The day of the crowning was alight with cheerfulness amongst the people and the staff at the castle. The slaves had all heard that the Prince would be releasing them and were filled to the brim with happiness as they helped the royal court members prepare.

Pepper had awoken Marshall Lee early and dressed him in fine, royal blue robes, a smile on her face. She’d informed the boy that even when released, it would be her pleasure to remain by his side and he’d thanked her, having come to enjoy her company.

Bubba had been swept away early and dressed in silken red and gold, his body draped in a heavy cloak lined with fine fur. His mother had attempted to come and greet him, but he had cast aside her words and instead greeted his sister as she congratulated him on finally making it to that point.

“Let’s hope no one goes and gets kidnapped or something,” She chuckled and he laughed in response, before pulling her into a hug.

Marceline was all smiles as well, dressed in a proper outfit (having been released by the Princess the day before), though devoid of a usual corset. Her smile gave way into a look of shock, however, when he leaned in and whispered to her, telling her a secret that he had yet to reveal to anyone, not even Marshall.

The crowd gathered into the courtyard in excitement, whispering amongst themselves about the Prince’s love life and why he had disappeared for so long. They seemed excited to see if what they had heard were true, in fact it seemed as if most of them didn’t care about the crowning but instead about the rumors.

Marshall joined his sister, Finn, and Fionna in the front row, turning red as soon as he saw how many eyes were on him. The Queen and her daughter sat atop of the great stage, the throne between them extravagant and large.

The whispers died down as the trumpets began to play and the people watched in awe as their Prince approached, his long cloak trailing after him as he walked down the row between his parted kingdom. Everyone was gazing at him intensely as he approached, stepping up the carpeted stairs and turning to face his people with his head held high, no fear in his eyes.

After a small pause, Prince Burton outstretched a hand to his people and addressed them with the air of a king, although he was not one yet. “People of Caramelo!” Immediately, the people’s backs straightened and they waited, anxiously, for the words of wisdom that their new king would bestow upon them. “As you may already know, this was not to be the official day of my crowning.” A few whispers followed these words, but the young man went on. “I was, in fact, supposed to be crowned days ago… but on the night before my crowning I left the kingdom.”

The people began looking at each other in confusion. Most of them had known that the crowning ceremony hadn’t taken place when it was supposed to, but very few of them had heard the rumor about him leaving.

The crowned Prince went on, no hint of discomfort in his words. “You see, the King of the Flame Kingdom had taken someone from the castle, someone very important to my sister and to myself. He was on the verge of declaring war with our kingdom.” Gasps left the members of the crowd, their faces fearful. “I traveled to their lands in order to retrieve her, as well as to put a stop to the hostility between our nations. I was successful in doing so. I also aided the Crowned Prince of the Flame Kingdom in overthrowing his father. Because of this, our two nations can now live in harmony.”

There were a few small cheers amongst the people, before they suddenly broke out into cries of excitement. Bubba found himself smiling as they eventually died down, feeling a bit of stress falling off of his shoulders.

“I apologize for my disappearance,” He continued, his voice booming so that everyone could hear. “And I hope that you, my people, will still accept me as your king.”

For a few moments, no one moved. Then, suddenly, a man in the second row bowed at the waist. Slowly, people began to follow his actions, until entire groups were doing it. Eventually, everyone in the crowd had their heads low, smiles on their faces and respect in their eyes.

Tears were almost brought to the Prince’s face, but he forced them away as he smiled. “Thank you, my people.”

A man to his side motioned to him and he gave a small nod, before moving in front of the large throne that had been placed in the center of the stage. The bishop stepped up beside him and removed a large, jeweled ruby red crown from its place upon a pillow in the Queen’s lap. She gave him a smile as he turned toward the Prince and lifted the object into the air.

Bubba felt his heart pounding, his breath caught in his throat as the man inched closer and closer. He saw the members of the crowd, respect on their faces and even a few gazing at him in relief. He saw his sister at his side, smiling gently with encouragement, and his mother gazing at him in adoration. He saw Pepper amongst the people before him, a small curve in her lips as she looking at him with years of knowledge in her features.

Then he saw him, standing between the aging woman and his sister, his dark hair pushed back away from his face. He was dressed in royal blues that suited his pale eyes and the bruises on his neck were nearly invisible, though the scratches on his face were still present.

As he locked eyes with Marshall Lee, Bubba felt the crown being placed on his head and the crowd broke into cheers as he took his seat as the new King of Caramelo.

Eventually the excitement died down and as he stood once more, the people began to slip to their knees in an even more respectful bow, showing their appreciation for his coronation. They all lowered their smiling faces and held their hands over their hearts, silence falling amongst them.

A small smile crossed the man’s face and he slowly moved forward, slipping down the steps and back toward the crowd. Confusion met his movements but he didn’t let it stop him as he approached the front row, moving in front of a certain dark-haired young man who was trying his best not to look up.

“You bow to no one, Marshall Lee,” The King stated clearly, holding a hand out toward the other man with an air about him that demanded respect.

Slowly, the young nymph lifted his eyes and gazed up at his companion in awe. After a few moments his expression was painted with confusion, but he slowly reached out and took the other’s hand with shaking fingers. The bowing people lifted their heads and watched as their King took the young man back up onto the stage, and turned him toward the people.

“My people,” King Burton addressed, lying a gentle hand on Marshall’s upper back to offer him some comfort as he nearly cowered under the gazes of so many. “You may have heard of, or perhaps you may have even seen a large creature flying from a window of the palace some time ago.” Whispers followed his words and a few of the people nodded. “I would like to explain to you that though this is true, the creature you witnessed was no demon. In fact, that creature was what is known as a nymph, or even a fairy.”

Gasps left a few people and some of the children’s faces lit up with wonder.

“In addition,” The young man continued, taking Marshall’s hand with his other one. “You may have seen the posters placed around Kandi for this young man here.”

It took a few moments, but it seemed that the crowd began to recognize the dark-haired boy, who had to force himself not to take a step back under their confused gazes.

“I would like to explain to you,” The King went on, squeezing Marshall Lee’s hand gently. “This boy is no criminal, in fact he is the kindest young man I have ever had the pleasure of meeting… This is Marshall Lee Abadeer, a nymph much like the one that flew from the palace window.”

The people began to gasp and stare at him openly, whispering amongst themselves. A few of them look terrified, some of them even seemed angry, but most of their gazes were of awe and wonder. The dark-haired young man tried to cringe away, but his companion’s steady hand on his back was a reminder that he wasn’t allowed to flee.

“As you can see, he looks just as human as you or I,” Bubba continued, squeezing the other boy’s hand once again. “And he is, really. He has a heart, he has a soul… he is no demon and he will not hurt anyone.” More whispers followed his words, but the King didn’t let them bother him as he tore his gaze away from the crowd and turned toward Marshall, a smile on his lips. “And… I love him.”

There was a moment of shocked silence as the dark-haired nymph turned to gaze at the King in shock. He’d known that the other cared for him, but he’d _never_ mentioned anything about _love_ , and he certainly hadn’t told him he was going to admit it in front of his _kingdom_!

“I knew it!” Someone cried from the crowd and Bonnibel, from her place in her throne, gave a small snort of amusement, whispering _Elespi_! as if she were a scolding mother.

“Marshall Lee,” The strawberry blonde addressed and his people watched in wonder and awe as their King removed his hand from the other’s back in order to take both hands in his own. “I want to show you what life has to offer. I want to spend every day making you smile… I’ve never felt this strongly for anyone before and I want to be with you, no matter what the cost.” The nymph watched in awe as his King suddenly slipped onto one knee and held out his free hand, up toward the boy before him. “Please… stay at my side.”

Eyeing the onlookers with his stomach fluttering, Marshall dragged his eyes toward the strong young man before him, offering him the world at his fingertips. “I don’t know how to be a Prince…”

His loved one smile softly, the look on his face so sweet and gentle as he breathed, “I’ll teach you.”

Everyone held their breath as the dark-haired boy lifted his quivering hand, his breath coming in shaky gasps. He eyed the crowd once more, before he slowly laid his fingers across the older man’s palm, taking in a deep breath as Bubba wrapped his own around his hand.

As the King stood, they turned to gaze at the crowd as smile crossed the faces of the people. Then, suddenly, they were all lowering their bodies to their knees once more, showing respect to their new Prince, who watched them with a look of awe and wonder.

“I would give up my Kingdom for you, Marshall Lee,” Bubba whispered, squeezing the other boy’s hand gently to offer his trembling form a bit of support.

Slowly, pale blue eyes turned to gaze at him, full of so much more life then they had been the first time he’d seen them. A gentle smile crossed the other’s soft features as he returned the embrace of hands, replying, “I’d never ask you to.”

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for all of your Kudos, Comments, and views!
> 
> And mostly, thank you for reading!
> 
> Have a great day! C:

**Author's Note:**

> "Aiden" is the name I choose for Flame Prince. Seeing as he doesn't have a cannon first name, yet, I gave him this name because it means "Little Fire".


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